Memories Path
by Lady S
Summary: Emma is declared dead... so who’s the girl? *Chp 9 UpLoaded* Sorry to make you wait forever!
1. Legal Stuff

Title: Memories Path  
  
Author: Lady S  
  
E-Mail: ladysewalton@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the imagination behind the plot. Bummer...  
  
Rating: Ummm... it'll probably hit PG-13 so we'll go with that one.  
  
Season/Spoiler: Just about all of them probably, by the time it's done.  
  
Shipper: A/E ... of course!  
  
Summary: Emma is declared dead... so who's the girl?  
  
Author's Notes: It's probably not quite what you're thinking. But I think you'll like it anyway. It is A/E so if you don't like that pairing don't bother to reads it. As much as I would like to hear everyone's comments I'm getting a little sick of the people who insist on bashing Emma... I happen to like her character. If you do like the A/E pairing... enjoy and don't forget to review!  
  
  
A note to those who do not like Emma's Character:  
  
  
I happen to be a fan of Emma's Character, hence the fact that she is the main focus of most of my MX fic's. I like the fact that she has a mental power. We know that women can be strong; it has been proven time and again in various formats. A woman who plays a lead character that is known for her brains and not her brawn or her body is a fresh face in my opinion.  
  
If you read my story and decide to leave a review on it that tells me what you liked about the plot, the characterization, the story line, even constructive criticism... thank you.  
  
If you read my story and decide to leave a review that bashes Emma's character then I feel it only fair to warn you... I will remove the review.   
  
The review section is a place for you to tell me what you thought of my story itself, not what you think of a particular character on a TV show I did not create. I do respect your opinion as to your choice of which characters you do or do not like, but on the same token I would ask that you respect mine.  
  
I'm sorry if this comes across as preachy or mean but it is how I feel.  
  
Thank You.  
  
  
SEW  
Lady S 


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One: Waking Up  
  
  
Genomex  
  
  
Her head was pounding; even lying still made it hurt. With some difficulty she cracked open one of her eyes and looked around. Her vision was slightly blurry but she could just make out the room she was in. It was almost all metal, everything from the tables and lamps to the chair she was strapped to. Where was she, what was this place? Opening her other eye she blinked them to try and clear her vision but it was no use. Hanging her head, unable to keep it up, she closed her eyes against the pain that was clobbering her from the inside out.  
  
A moan caught her attention and she raised her head as much as she could, turning it to see another woman strapped to another chair, her face contorted in pain. Her face was sporting a large bruise and she wondered if hers did as well. "Where are we?" the other woman whispered, her voice filled with pain.  
  
"I don't know," she replied. "How did we get here?"  
  
"The last thing I remember is running from some men with guns or something. After that..." the woman's voice slacked off. With a moan she shook her head a little. "I don't know."  
  
"It was the GSA," a third voice rang out.   
  
It had come from behind her so she couldn't see the man who had spoke; he too was in pain. Closing her eyes she tested her bonds but found them stronger than she, which wasn't saying much at the moment. She felt beaten, as though she'd been in an accident or something. Everything hurt.  
  
"The GSA?" the woman whispered. "I've heard about these guys. They run tests and experiments on New Mutants. No one ever gets out of here alive," she said, her voice becoming more and more agitated with each word. "I gotta get the hell outta here!"  
  
She began to struggle with her bonds but couldn't get anywhere. Her fear beginning to take over sparks shot out from her fingers.   
  
"Hey watch it!" the man cried. "You could fry us all, Jackie!"  
  
"Sorry, Pete!" she cried, her voice shaky.  
  
She'd been quiet as she listened to the two of them, her two cellmates in this metal prison. Shaking her head, her vision beginning to clear, she looked around again. There was a door on the one wall, through the glass window she could make out a hallway of doors. The table that sat on the other wall held a variety of instruments ranging from needles to some sort of large gun like object. Looking up she saw a sprinkler system and an idea began to form in her mind.  
  
"Hey," she called out to the other two, her own voice reverberating in her head like a chainsaw. "You're an elemental, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I've got sparks."  
  
"Can you shoot bolts of electricity or just make sparks?"  
  
"I've done bolt's a few times, but it's hard. Why, what's it to ya?"  
  
"It may be our way out. You, back there, what's your power?"  
  
"I'm a rejuvenator, I can repair or re-grow just about anything."  
  
"So like if you break a hand or something..."  
  
"It'll repair itself in a matter of seconds."  
  
Her plan continuing to form she kept thinking. "Is there anyone else in the room?"  
  
"Just Mixy, she's a feral, but she's out cold."  
  
"Can you wake her?"  
  
"Yeah, hang on a sec," Jackie said. Furrowing her brow in confusion she pointed her finger towards the unconscious feral and seconds later a small bolt of electricity shot out from her fingertip, hitting its target. The young woman, Mixy, jumped at the contact and was roused from her unconsciousness.  
  
"What the hell!" she yelled.  
  
"Shut up!" Jackie hissed. "You want to call the whole place in on us?"  
  
"Listen," she cried out to them all. "I have an idea but we're all gonna have to work together to make it work. Are you in?" They all replied; they would do whatever it took to get out. "Pete, I need you to break our hand and get out of your bonds. On the table next to us is the key. With one hand free you should be able to reach it and get us all free. Jackie, I want you to shot a bolt of electricity to the sprinkler and make them go off that'll..."  
  
"Are you crazy! I'm electrical, we don't like the water!"  
  
"You're gonna like what the GSA will do to you a lot less than a stupid shower!" she hissed to her, making the point clear. "This is our only chance but if we don't work together than we're as good as lab rats. Are you in or not?"  
  
"All right, all right! But I'm gonna be weak when the water hits me."  
  
"Okay, Pete, you'll help Jackie once the water starts. Mixy you and I will have to fight off who ever comes into our path. Hopefully in all the confusion they won't miss us but you never know. We'll get the hell outta here, steal a car, and get as far away from here as we can. Agreed?"  
  
"Hell yeah!" they cried.  
  
Immediately, Pete went to work. Breaking his thumb he was able to slide his hand out of the cuffs that held him to his chair. Even as it repaired itself he was reaching for the key to unlock his other hand. Unlocking everyone else he nodded to Jackie. Turning her attention to the sprinkler system overhead she focused her energy and shot a bolt of electricity out of her hands, overloading the system and the waterworks began. Wet and weak Jackie leaned on Pete while the other two opened the door and looked around. The coast was clear.  
  
"Come on, let's go!" she whispered to them.  
  
As they hurried down the hallway she saw a coatroom filled with white lab coats. Grabbing four they donned them and continued down the hallways. More and more people began to fill the halls as they ran for the doors to freedom from the alleged fire. Mixing in with the crowd the four New Mutants escaped the building and made tracks for the nearest car. Just as they left the grounds guards came running out of the building, yelling at them to stop. They'd been discovered. Jumping into the nearest black vehicle Mixy hot-wired it in a matter of seconds and they were off, tearing down the drive to freedom.  
  
"Yeah!" Mixy screamed as they hit open road. "We did it!"  
  
Laughing they all glanced around at one another, the foursome of escapee's that were bound and determined never to go back again. "We're not out of trouble yet, guys. This car is probably being tracked. We need to dump it and find another as fast as possible," she cried out over their laughter.  
  
The laughter stopped as they realized that their freedom wasn't as complete as they had thought. Putting her foot to the floor Mixy raced down the road. Soon the pulled into a town to find another car. The first one they came to had a for-sale sign on it and they hopped in, leaving the other car behind in return. Once more they were on the road and tearing away to get back to the city, a place where it was just a little easier to get lost than in the open country. Her head still pounding she laid it back on the headrest and closed her eyes while the other three laughed and boasted over the escape.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
She could almost see his face.  
  
This man that she knew, that she cared about... loved. He was holding her, telling her everything would be okay. Welcoming her back from the dead. She had died, but she was alive. How was that possible?   
  
Suddenly the man was gone, she was alone in a place that felt as safe as a mothers arms. Looking around she saw stairs leading up to a platform, a water garden just beyond it. She knew this place; it felt... like home. She was home, but she didn't recognize it. And yet at the same time she did. It was an odd feeling to know this place and yet not know anything about it. As she stared at the open room laughter floated out to her from the hallway and a trio of friends entered the room, two men and a woman. They were laughing at a shared joke when one of them noticed her.  
  
"Hey!" he cried, why couldn't she see his face? "Welcome home."  
  
"Where've you been hiding?" the woman asked her as she hugged her close. "We miss you."  
  
"Yeah, you should come back to us, it's not the same without you," the third one said as he hugged her.  
  
"I..." she began, unsure of what to say. Looking down at her hands she twisted the ring on her finger. As she twisted it the ring seemed to glow and a whispered name rang echoed in her mind. She couldn't make out what the word was but she knew it was important. If only she could understand the whisper. If only she could make out what the word was. If only she could...  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
She was being shaken.   
  
"Come on, girl, we're here!"  
  
Opening her eyes she realized that she had fallen asleep during the ride and that they had reached their destination. Getting out of the car her sore and beaten body stumbled into the building and sank gratefully into a chair at the table with the other three.  
  
"Man, you don't look so hot."  
  
"I don't feel so hot," she replied. "Where are we?"  
  
Mixy grinned. "This is our club, The Hurricane. We all own it."  
  
"You should get to a doctor or something, girl," Jackie said with a frown. "You look like you were beat up pretty bad."  
  
She shook her head. "Sleep. I just want to sleep."  
  
"All right," Jackie nodded. "Come on, I'll take you to my room."  
  
Slowly, painfully, she got up from the chair and followed Jackie through the club's main floor, up the elevator, and down the hallways to a bedroom. Dropping gracelessly into the bed she was barely aware of Jackie pulling the covers over her. Drifting in and out of sleep she barely heard the question Jackie asked as she pulled the cover up over shoulders.  
  
"What's your name, girl?"  
  
"I don't know," she mumbled before slipping into her dreams once more.  
  
Watching their new friend sleep for a moment she shut off the light before going back downstairs to Pete and Mixy. "You know, I think she really needs to see a doctor."  
  
"We can't make her," Mixy said with a shrug. "Maybe she really does just need to sleep."  
  
Pete shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I saw her when she fell; she should be dead by all rights. The GSA must have fixed her somehow, but it makes me wonder if they didn't do something else to her at the same time."  
  
"Well she's asleep for now but I still think we should call Eric and have him look her over."  
  
"I agree," Pete backed her up. "I'll give him a call and see if he can stop by. What are we gonna do when she gets better?"  
  
"She might not even want to stay," Mixy said as she came back with three drinks.  
  
"I don't know," Jack chewed on a straw from her drink. "I asked her what her name was and she said she didn't know. I think she might have amnesia or something."  
  
"She did fall pretty hard. Maybe we could keep her around if she's got nowhere to go. She fights pretty good, with a little training she could fit in well."  
  
"You want to keep her here at the club?"  
  
"And below," he nodded. "We've got that bartender position open and if we think she'll fit in we can show her the rest of our little business."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sanctuary  
  
  
  
"He's waking up, Adam," Jesse announced from his place by Brennan's side. Taking the force field emitter's offline he watched as a greenish line dropped from around Brennan's weak body. Since they'd found him in the river, out cold, two days ago, it had been a fight for his life.   
  
"Brennan?" Adam spoke as he approached the young man's side. "Can you hear me?"  
  
Standing next to Jesse Shalimar took Brennan's hand in her own, wishing he would wake up to answer the one question they'd all been desperately trying to solve. Blinking Brennan opened his eyes and looked up at the three faces peering over him. Groaning at the pain in his chest he frowned when he remembered what had happened.  
  
"It was the GSA," he said after a moment. "They surprised us. I stopped to fight them while Emma went on ahead to warn the New Mutants. She got there but she was too late, the agents already had them. They fought and she was kicking ass but she lost her balance and..." he closed his eyes trying to remember what had happened. As the image played itself out in his mind Brennan's eyes began to sting. "Oh shit, Adam," he whispered in pain. "There... she..." Brennan's voice became thick; his breathing hitched as he saw in his minds eyes what had happened.  
  
"Calm down, Brennan," Adam warned him. The young mans pulse was spiking, his breathing irregular. "Just calm down and try to tell us what happened."  
  
Swallowing Brennan fought to continue. "She fell off the edge of the parking ramp," he said, his voice hoarse. "I heard her screaming for help but by the time I got to the edge of the ramp I was too late." Tears slipped form the corner of his eyes. "She was just lying there, on the ground. Oh God, Adam! There was so much blood! It was everywhere... and she... she was just...!" Closing his eyes Brennan fought to regain control of his emotions. "Emma's dead, Adam!"  
  
Tears streamed from Shalimar's eyes as she listened to Brennan's tale. It was really real this time. There would be no coming back to life for Emma. His throat tight, his eyes stinging, Jesse put his arms around Shalimar and held her close as they both mourned their teammate and close friend. Neither one noticed that Adam had left until the doors had slid shut behind him.  
  
Out in the hallway, in a deserted corner of the Sanctuary, Adam doubled over. He couldn't breath. She was dead, really dead this time. Emma, sweet little Emma. She hadn't done anything to deserve that kind of a death, no one did. But Emma... Emma deserved so much better. She deserved a full life filled with love and happiness, purpose. She deserved... she deserved to be alive. Bent over in two the tears began to flow, he couldn't stop them.  
  
Emma was dead.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
He finished his examination and pulled the covers back over the sleeping woman. Sitting by her side for a moment Eric watched her sleep. She was beautiful. Dark hair that framed her creamy skin, long smooth fingers that tapered into manicured nails. Her face was peaceful as she slept but her eyes were rapidly moving in their REM and he wondered what she was dreaming. With a last glance he gathered his bag and headed back down to the main floor where the other three were waiting.  
  
"She should be okay. She was pretty banged up, what happened?"  
  
"She fell off the parking ramp a few blocks form here."  
  
"Then she should be dead!"  
  
"No, she caught herself halfway but couldn't hold on and she fell the rest of the way and got knocked out cold. Her friend tried to help her but he couldn't get there in time. He got his ass kicked when he tried to fight them after that. They threw him into the river and took us with them. I guess they took her too 'cause when we woke up she was there with us in the room."  
  
"Damn," Eric whispered. "She'll be in pain for quite a while. Giver her one of these every six hours but no more. I'll stop back in a day or two to see how she's doing. Make sure she rests, she needs it."  
  
Nodding Pete and Mixy headed upstairs to check on their friend one more time while Jackie headed out to the car with their doctor friend. "Listen, we're supposed to be getting a new shipment in a few days. Will you be here to look them over before we ship them out?"  
  
"Yeah," Eric grinned. "I'll be here."  
  
Leaning down he captured Jackie's face in his hands and kissed her. Like butter in a pan Jackie melted to his kiss. For a few moments they were oblivious to the rest of the world, caught up in themselves and the chemistry that flowed between them. Finally releasing her Eric smiled and got into his car. "I'll see you in a few days."  
  
Waving him off Jackie watched until he rounded the corner before going back inside. Sitting in his parked car, just around the bend from the club, Eric pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.  
  
"She's fine, a little beat up still but she should recover nicely. I'll know more in a few days. They're expecting a shipment in a few days, you'll want to keep an eye on them."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
She was lying in bed when she heard the yelling from somewhere below her. Gingerly she removed the covers and climbed out of the bed she'd been ordered to stay in for the last few days. Opening the door the yelling got louder and a loud crash rang out followed by the shattering of broken glass. Descending the stairs she saw Jackie stalking between the tables and chairs while Mixy was crouched on the bar, growling and glaring at the walls. Pete was standing over a woman she didn't know, patching up a cut on her arm.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked them from her spot on the last stair.  
  
All four glanced up at her for a moment before resuming what they were doing. "Nothing," Jackie said through clenched teeth. "Not one damn thing."  
  
Emerging a little farther into the club she saw broken glass and an overturned table in the middle of the club. Silently she moved to upright the table and began to pick up the glass. When she had finished she turned her attention back to the others still in the room. "Is everyone okay?"  
  
Sighing in frustration Pete ran his hand through his hair. "We will be." As if suddenly realizing what she was doing he walked over to her. "You shouldn't be up. Get back to bed, you're not well yet."  
  
"What happened?" she asked again, ignoring his statement.   
  
"We lost a shipment," he replied. Both Mixy and Jackie glared at him for a moment but he shrugged them off. "We were going to collect the shipment but someone got to it before we could."  
  
"For the third time!" Mixy growled before leaving the room.  
  
Watching the feral leave she wondered what was really going on. But answers wouldn't be coming any time soon, she realized as Pete led her back upstairs. Settling her back into the bed Pete watched her for a moment. "We need to give you a name," he declared. "We can't keep calling you 'girl'. Any preferences?"  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know. It seems like there's a lot I don't know."  
  
Smiling at her he nudged her shoulder. "All right then looks like its up to me to give you a name. What should I call you?" Making a show of pondering everything he finally smiled at her. "I think we should call you Eve."  
  
"Eve?"  
  
"Yeah, you now, like Adam and Eve."  
  
"Adam..." she whispered. That name, it sounded so right, like she had heard it before, like it meant something to her. "Adam and Eve," she smiled. "I like it."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: All in a Days Work  
  
  
The club was packed; filled to the brim with laughing smiling men and women who were out on the town to have a good time. Music blaring, lights flashing, dance floor swaying, people drinking, the flow of people in and out had been steady since The Hurricane had opened that night. Its three owners were at their stations, one at the sound station, one on the floor, and one in the offices watching over the club in security.   
  
Behind the bar Eve mixed drinks for the cash customers, keeping track of who'd had too much. Though it had only been a month since she had joined Pete, Jackie and Mixy in working at The Hurricane she had caught on quickly and fit in like the ring on her finger. Eve wasn't sure what the story behind the ring was; all she knew was that it was important to her, that it meant something to her. The golden glint caught her eye as she handed a glass to the waiting customer and for just a moment she allowed her mind to wander. Who had given it to her? Was it one of the people she kept dreaming about? The faces she could never see?   
  
Who were they?   
  
Who was she?  
  
"Two beers."  
  
Snapping her attention away from her ring Eve pulled two bottles from the cooler and handed them to the two men standing at the bar. One was taller, handsome with his dark hair and even darker eyes. The other, on the shorter side, was fair-haired but his eyes danced with laughter. The both of them were scanning the floor with their eyes and Eve smiled at the sight of two young men on the hunt. Turning to collect their beers the one, the taller one, did a double take before giving himself a shake and walking off onto the floor with his friend. Just before he disappeared into the crowd Eve saw him glance back one more time before disappearing into the crowd.  
  
Wondering what had caught his attention like that Eve tried to shake it off and keep doing her job but she found it impossible to keep her eyes from scanning the crowd. Laughing at herself she shook her head and grinned. She was acting like a lunatic. He was probably just checking her out; it wouldn't be the first time. Ever since she'd let Mixy color her hair purple and tattoo the little heart just under her jaw the guys had been coming from the woodwork. Like they had never seen someone with odd colored hair before; the club was filled with people of similar styles.  
  
"Hey, how's it going, girl?"  
  
Eve smiled at Mixy as she slung herself over the edge of the bar. "So far so good."  
  
"Good," she smiled. "Listen we're expecting someone to bring us a shipment. If he gets here tell him the back door's unlocked, kay?"  
  
"Got it," Eve smiled at her.  
  
Grinning Mixy slipped off and wandered back into the crowd. Watching her go Eve wondered what these shipments were that they kept getting. She hadn't noticed any new merchandise or stock coming into the club but they kept getting shipments. Her mind was torn in two, trying to do her job and trying to figure out what these shipments were. Eve trusted her friends, they'd never given her reason not to, but she just had to know. When the man came to the bar she gave him the message and watched as he disappeared from her view. Waiting for an excruciating amount of time she called one of the other girls over and said she was going on break.   
  
Slipping out of the dance floor and down the hallway Eve stopped at a door she'd never been through before and her mind was split; should she, shouldn't she? In the blink of an eye her decision was made. Hand on the knob she opened the door and slipped inside. The door led to a set of stairs and descending them she saw a room that seemed to span the entire basement of the building. To her left was what looked like a large living room and to the right was a computer console that spanned ten feet of the wall. Before her were several large chairs and benches.  
  
Turning to look behind her she saw a large open area with mats, it looked like a training area. It was there that she saw the people, three of them, one man and two women huddled together, and scared. She could feel their fear as if it were her own. Taking a step towards them Eve held up her hands in a display of friendship and peace. "My name is Eve," she told them in a soft voice.  
  
"Where's Mixy?" the man asked with a wary voice.   
  
"She's still upstairs. Who are you?"  
  
"They're friends of ours Eve." Turning around she saw Pete standing at the base of the stairs. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find your way down here." Raising his eyes to the three people Pete smiled at them. "Mixy will be down in a minute to get you all set to travel. Eve, why don't you and I go for a little walk?"  
  
With one last confused look to the three people she didn't know Eve followed Pete up the stairs to the offices on the third floor. Taking a seat on the couch Pete looked up at her with a smile. Motioning for her to sit with him he faced her when she sat on the opposite end of the long couch. "You found our basement."  
  
"Yeah." Unsure of what was going on Eve's defenses were on high. "What's going on here, Pete? Where those people the shipment? Why are they...?"  
  
"Hold it," Pete held up his hand to stem her flow of questions. "Let me tell you what's been going on around here. After that I'll answer your questions, deal?"  
  
Eve nodded.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
He'd never heard of this place but Jesse had said it was a pretty popular club so he'd agreed to come. Brennan wasn't really in the mood to party but he knew that he needed to get back out into the world. It was just hard. Everywhere he looked he saw things, people even, that reminded him of Emma. Especially that bartender.  
  
Raising his eyes Brennan looked to the bar but she was gone. Without the purple hair and tattoo on her neck the woman could have been Emma's twin. What he wouldn't give to see her again, alive, smiling, laughing. The Sanctuary wasn't the same without her presence. Without Emma they'd lost a vital part of the team and it seemed as though no one was able to bounce back.  
  
Brennan could still remember the service they'd had for her. It had just been the four of them, standing in the water garden, a candle floating in the water to say goodbye to their dear friend and teammate. Shalimar had turned away, overcome by her emotions, and Jesse had gone after her to comfort the woman while they both grieved for Emma. Brennan had stood by Adam, watching Shalimar and Jesse walk away. When he'd turned back to his older friend Brennan had sworn he'd seen a tear in the mans eyes but it was gone in the blink of an eye. Adam had stared at the candle until it was extinguished several hours later; refusing to leave until the light was gone.  
  
'Adam,' he'd asked, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You gonna be all right?'  
  
With a nod he'd turned away, disappearing down the hallway. Hours later Brennan and Jesse had found Adam in the training room, hitting the heavy bag, his hands encased in old boxing gloves. His hair matted to his head, drenched in sweat, Adam was beating the large boxing bag with a fury. The two friends looked at each other and without a word they turned and walked away, leaving Adam to beat out his frustration and grief. He was hurting, that much was obvious, but it wasn't until they spoke with Shalimar that the two men understood the full extent of his pain.  
  
'He loved her,' she told them with tears in her eyes. Hugging her arms around herself she had walked with them through the empty hallways. 'I could see it every time they were near each other. They were in love but neither one of them realized it. And now it's too late...' she'd sobbed while Jesse wrapped his arms around her once more.  
  
Shaking his head Brennan tried to blink away his memories of that day. It didn't do anyone any good to dwell on it, but his mind wouldn't focus on anything else. It was his fault. He had screwed up and Emma was dead because of it. Pain gripped his heart as he relived that day, the sight off Emma lying on the ground so many storied below him, a pool of blood growing around her. The sight was burned into his mind, replaying over and over each time he blinked. It was his fault.  
  
"Hey, Jesse," Brennan grabbed his friends attention. "I'm gonna get going, okay? I'll catch you later."  
  
"Hang on, I'll come with you."  
  
"Naw, man, I'm good. You stay, I'll catch you back at the Sanctuary."  
  
Jesse nodded. "All right. Take it easy."  
  
Making his way through the crowd Brennan escaped into the cool night air and began walking down the streets, wandering aimlessly until he stopped suddenly and looked around. He was back at the parking ramp; it stood tall and dark next to him. Looking at the sidewalk he could still make out the dark patch of cement, it's grayish color permanently stained by the blood of a woman who'd been ripped from his life much too early. Sitting on the bench a few feet away he stared at the dark patch of concrete, his minds eyes still seeing her prone figure lying before him, dead.  
  
"I'm sorry, Emma!" he cried, his voice choking. "I'm so sorry!"  
  
Hanging his head Brennan cried for the first time since he'd woken up in the lab and finally, after almost a month, he was able to grieve for his lost friend.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Eve stared at Pete, trying to absorb everything he'd just laid out for her. It seemed like a story, some big cover up to hide what was really happening but she knew he wasn't lying to her. This was real.  
  
"Holy shit..." she breathed.  
  
"Yeah," he grinned at her. "It's all true though Eve, I'm not lying to you."  
  
"I know," she replied. "It's just... I mean... holy shit. How many people have you 'shipped'?"  
  
"Almost twenty I think. There were supposed to be more but we lost a few to the GSA."  
  
Eve shook her head and stood from her seat to pace the office. "You've been transporting New Mutants to other countries to keep the safe from the GSA? That's why those people are downstairs?" Pete nodded. "How do they reach you?"  
  
"Through a contact. He meets with them and brings them to us."  
  
"The guy from tonight, the one I told to use the backdoor?"  
  
"Yep. He brings them to us and then we get them out of the country. Sometimes they're sick, so Eric will look them over to make sure they'll be okay and then we get them the hell out of town. I know you've noticed that Mixy and Jackie will disappear every now and then for a few days. They're taking the people to safety and then they come back here. We can't do too many but we do what we can."  
  
"Why? I mean how did you get started on this kind of thing?"  
  
"Mixy's brother. He was captured by the GSA and killed a year ago. Ever since then she's been bound and determined to keep other people like him safe. People who aren't fighter's, who can't defend themselves. Most of the New Mutants we transfer have very passive powers, they can't use them to defend themselves."  
  
Staring out the main window at the dance floor below them Eve thought for a few moments. In her heart she knew what she wanted, what they were doing seemed only natural to her. Turning around she faced Pete with a bright smile.   
  
"I want in."  
  
Grinning Pete stood up from his seat. Leading her back downstairs he told Jackie and Mixy what was gong on. Both women smiled and Eve knew she had been fully accepted. She was now a part of their team. Listening as Jackie led her around the large room she memorized the details, drinking them in like a thirsty man would water. When Jackie left with the three New Mutants, taking them over the northern border, and both Mixy and Pete went back upstairs to watch over the club Eve stayed behind.  
  
It felt right.   
  
Doing what she was doing, helping the New Mutants to escape from the GSA, or whoever else wanted to hurt them, it just felt right, natural. Since she'd woken, strapped to a chair at the GSA, her life had been one big ball of confusion to Eve. Who was she? Who were the people in her dreams, the ones that seemed to know her? While she still didn't have the answers to those questions Eve knew that she had made the right choice to join up with Mixy's fight in her brother's name. Sitting at the computer she familiarized herself with the systems for a little while before heading back upstairs to her place at the bar.   
  
Life was just a little better tonight.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Just in case.  
  
That was what he kept telling himself. Sitting at the console Adam scanned the database one more time. It didn't make any sense. She was dead. They didn't have her body, the GSA didn't have her body, and the city morgue hadn't recovered her body either. Where was Emma's body? After Brennan had told him what had happened Adam had gone out to the parking ramp himself, needing to be sure. He'd seen the puddle of blood left on the cement; he'd seen the fifteen stories up to the roof of the parking ramp. There was no way Emma could have survived a fall like that one.  
  
Then where was her body?  
  
"Adam?"  
  
Looking up Adam watched Shalimar approach. Smiling at her he cancelled the search, shutting down the system before she could reach his side. She had caught him at his search once and it had been hard on her, Emma was still a touchy subject for Shalimar to deal with. The two young women had bonded quickly, both of them sticking together against the men when the fight called for it. They were as close as sisters could get. Shalimar missed Emma a great deal.  
  
"Jesse was just scanning the airwaves. The GSA is on the move."  
  
Forcing Emma to the back of his mind, though she never left his mind completely, Adam stood from his seat and followed the feral out to the main computer where Jesse sat. "Where are they heading?"  
  
"Looks like they're going out toward Marten Park. Should we go?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
The four members of Mutant X headed out to the Double Helix and were in the air in no time. By the time they landed in Marten Park the GSA was already there. Running towards the woman, a young elemental, the foursome stopped still when the rain began. Her fear triggering her power the young woman was unable to control the rain as it turned into a torrential downpour. Getting wetter by the second Brennan could feel himself growing weaker and weaker with ever drop of water.   
  
"Stay back, Brennan," Adam ordered the dark haired man as he moved forward. "Let her go, Eckhart," he yelled to the pale man standing under an umbrella one of the agents had pulled from the car.  
  
"You're too late, Adam," Mason replied.  
  
Motioning for the agents holding her to bring the young woman with them he turned to leave only to stop in his tracks at the sight of the woman standing behind him. With a solid punch to his head Eve knocked the pale man out cold, his body slumping to the ground even as she did the same to the agent standing next to him. With a yell she pulled the frightened elemental from the arms of the two agents, pushing her towards Jackie. Together the two women stumbled away from the crowds, Jackie leaning on the girl as much as she did on Jackie.  
  
Too shocked to move, to surprised to make a sound Adam watched as a woman he'd spent the last month and a half grieving for kicked the agents ass, she and the man and woman who fought by her side. Even with the wild purple hair and the tattoo on her neck Adam knew those eyes as well as he knew his own. Her fighting skills had improved, her speed, her accuracy; she'd obviously spent quite some time training. But those were only side notes to the one thought that played over and over in his mind like a skipping c.d.  
  
Emma was alive.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Riding in the back of the car Eve stared out the window as they drove to the park to meet their latest 'shipment'. This was actually her second time out with the others but the skills she had needed, the acute awareness of what was going on, the skills needed to defend herself, the ability to spot an agent in a crowd; they had all seemed to come to her as if they were second nature. She didn't understand why this felt so right. Yes, of course she liked to help people, but she wasn't a fighter. At least she didn't think she was a fighter.  
  
It was frustrating for Eve, living every day blindly trying to find her way in a world she couldn't remember. She'd asked them about her life from before but no one had known. They all had the same story. 'You just showed up on the ramp with some guy.' It wasn't any help at all; they couldn't describe him except to say that he had been tall, dark haired, and handsome. There were too many men who fit that description.  
  
And practically every night Eve woke up from her dream, the same dream every night, frustrated and upset that she couldn't recall the people who seemed to care about her. Were they even real? Or were they just a figment of her imagination? It was maddening to her to not know her past, to not remember anything beyond the moment she had come to strapped to a metal chair. The only link, the only tangible thing she had from her past, was the ring on her finger. Twisting it on her hand Eve stared at the intricate design. She thought back to the time when she had taken it off to see if there was an inscription or something. The design had disappeared from the gold band, only to reappear when she put it back on. Eve wasn't sure why it happened only that it did.  
  
Pulled from her thoughts when they arrived at the park Eve climbed out of the car with Mixy and stopped when the feral tensed. "What is it?"  
  
"There's someone here," she said. "A lot of someone's."  
  
"GSA?"  
  
"I think so. Pete you and Jackie look for Jinni. Eve, you come with me; we'll find the agents and make sure they don't have her already. Everyone be careful."  
  
Splitting up they spread out as the four friends entered Marten Park. As Mixy and Eve inched their way toward the group of people they was that Jinni was right in the middle of the group. It seemed to be some sort of face off between the GSA and a small trio of people she'd never seen before. Glancing a little closer Eve realized that she did know one of them, the man, the one with the fair hair. He'd been with the tall one at the bar, the one who kept staring at her. Looking around she didn't see his friend and wondered if he was here to. With a mental slap she brought her mind back onto the task at hand. Using the prearranged hand signals Mixy and Eve worked out a plan.  
  
Nodding Eve stopped behind the man with the pale hair just as the rain began. Jinni was scared; her powers were going off on their own. Realizing that Jackie would be weakened Eve slipped back for a moment and signaled to Pete for Jackie to leave as soon as Jinni was away from the agents. Silently nodding he turned to relay the message to Jackie and Eve moved back toward the pale man. She heard someone calling to him, using the mans name, Eckhart. Eve realized that this man was the head of the GSA and her anger boiled. When he turned around after calling motioning to his people Eve glared at him even as he stared in surprise and confusion at her.   
  
Laying him out cold with one punch she turned her attention to the guard by his side, knocking him out as well. With lighting fast moves Eve pulled jinni away from the two agents that held her. "Jackie! Get her outta here," she yelled to the woman.  
  
Weakened by the rain Jinni had induced Jackie stumbled off with the scared young woman, she leaning on her as much as Jinni leaned on Jackie. Making sure they would be able to get away safely Pete, Mixy and Eve squared of with the remaining agents, seven total. Though they were outnumbered, working together, they made quick work of the agents and soon all seven were out cold on the ground. Scanning the grounds to make sure there weren't any in hiding to make a surprise attack Eve pulled herself up straight and looked to the three strangers standing in the rain, staring at her.  
  
"Are they agents?" Mixy asked, eyeing the people who hadn't made a move.  
  
"If they are they're too scared to do anything about it. Look at them, they're just standing there watching us," Pete replied  
  
Irked by their stares Eve turned and left, Pete and Mixy in tow, returning to the car and the scared young woman. They had to get her to safety before the GSA struck again. Jackie already in the back Eve got behind the wheel and pulled away, racing to the safety of their club. Even as she navigated the streets she couldn't get the image of those three sets of eyes staring at her. They looked as though they had seen a ghost. She couldn't help but wonder why.   
  
Who were they? Were they GSA? They hadn't been dressed like the rest of the agents. And why had the older one told Eckhart to let Jinni go? Were they friends of hers? She didn't seem to know them. So what were they doing in the park?  
  
Her head full of questions Eve pulled their car into the garage and shut off the engine. Jinni had calmed down during the drive and the rain had stopped. Turning in her seat Eve smiled at the young woman. "Come on, Jinni," she said softly. "I'll take you down to The Haven, we'll get you cleaned up and then you and I will get on our way across the border."  
  
Exiting the car Eve took Jinni's hand in her own and led her through the club to the basement level. It hadn't taken long for Eve to feel at home in the place she had lovingly named The Haven, the lower level of the club. While the name itself wasn't right, the feel was the same, a place of comfort, of security. It had felt right to her, like going to a place that was as close to home as she would ever get.   
  
When they had first granted her full access to The Haven Eve had done a little redecorating, adding her own personal touch to the lower level. In one corner, moving the boxes to another section, Eve had added a small garden of plant life surrounding an even smaller man made water pond with a slight rock fall leading into it.  
  
Pete had complained that it was going to make him go to the bathroom every second but in the end everyone had to agree; they liked Eve's little Garden of Eden. It added a bit of serenity to the large room. With everything else in the large room focusing on the work, the battle they were fighting, it was a nice change to have a quiet corner where they could go to feel some peace in their hectic lives.   
  
Nearly every morning Eve would sit by the small pond, legs crossed under her, meditating. She would focus on the feeling that being in the garden gave her, not only the peace and serenity, but also the security, the sense of love that washed over her. They were the same feelings that washed over her in her dreams. The senses of belonging, safety, love, and joy all flowing through her as she dreamed of a place, and of the people she couldn't remember.   
  
But when she woke Eve found it impossible to hold onto those same feelings. When she was awake she couldn't help but be overcome by her feelings of confusion, frustration at not being able to remember anything beyond two months ago. The curiosity of who she really was, what her life had been like, and what kind of woman she really was. Was the woman she knew herself to be now, the peaceable, soft hearted, willing woman, the same kind of woman she had been?  
  
Would she ever know?  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Team Players  
  
  
Pulling the car to a stop outside an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere Eve turned around to face the young woman in the passenger seat. She had fallen asleep almost the instant their fifteen-hour drive had begun, the pressure and strain of the last few days taking their toll. The drive had been quiet, allowing her ample time to think. Her mind was still a jumble but Eve refused to let it dominate the life she was building for herself at The Hurricane. Whether she liked it or not, she had to get on with her life. She had to try and forget the life she once had, a life she couldn't even remember.  
  
Blinking back the tear that stung at her eye Eve reached out a small hand to shake Jinni's shoulder. Slowly the young woman woke and opened her eyes to see Eve smiling back at her, her own sadness hidden from view. "We're here, Jinni. Come on, I'll take you inside to meet the family."  
  
Nodding Jinni unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, climbing out and stretching her legs before meeting Eve on the driver side of the car. Smiling at her one more time Eve nudged the elemental's shoulder and headed towards the front door. Doorbell rung the pale gray door opened and a small pair of blue eyes peered, curiosity filling their every fleck of color. Suddenly the door flung open wide and a little girl smiled at the woman with the funny purple hair.  
  
"Hi there, Annie," Eve smiled at her. "Where's Mommy?"  
  
"Inside," the little girl grinned. Scampering off with a giggle Annie raced inside to get her mothers attention. "Mom! Mommy, Eve's here!"  
  
"Come on," Eve smiled, pulling Jinni inside with her. As she shut the door behind them she saw a short woman approaching down the hallway, a smile gracing her homely face. "Hi, Marta."  
  
"Eve, it's good to see you again," she smiled, hugging the young woman closely. "How's Jackie doing?"  
  
"Better, you're herbs really helped get rid of her cold. She said to say thanks."  
  
"Oh she's welcome. I can't have my babies getting sick, now can I?"  
  
Smiling Eve turned to introduce Jinni and Marta. Smiling at the young girl Marta pulled on her hand and led her into the kitchen. "Why don't you join my family and I, we were just about to eat lunch. I'm sure you're hungry."  
  
Nodding Jinni smiled shyly and moved into the dining room with Marta. Pausing in the doorway she looked back to Eve. Smiling Eve nodded to her, waving her hand for the young woman to continue; telling her with smiling eyes that she would be okay. Watching her disappear around the corner Eve smiled and turned back to the front door. Jinni would be okay.  
  
"Bye Eve," Annie smiled as she watched her new friend walk out the door.  
  
"Bye Annie, you take care of my friend okay?"  
  
"I will," she smiled as she shut the door.  
  
Shaking her head Eve climbed back into the car and pulled out of the driveway. Yawning she sped down the highway back towards the border. Stopping for some coffee to stay awake she made tracks, keeping the radio loud and booming to drown out her thoughts. Making it across the border once more Eve was reaching for the volume control to turn the stereo back up when she heard it.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sitting at the console he could hear the excited chattering from behind him but ignored it for now, focusing in on his task at hand. Within one moment everything had changed. Where once he had been split between two priorities, now he had only one. He had to find her. Ever since they had left Marten Park Adam had been working on a way to activate her comm link from the sanctuary, something he'd never tried to do before. It wasn't a difficult thing, but writing the program took time; he'd been working on it for the last eighteen hours and now, finally it was complete.  
  
Opening the signal to her ring the room was filled with blaring music, the radio was on too loud for her to be able to hear him. Frustrated he sat back in his chair, glaring at the screen. He would have to wait until she turned the music off to speak to her. But what would he say? Adam knew he couldn't very well just begin talking to her as though she knew him. Then how? Trying to think of some way to begin so as not to scare her and to get her talking, Adam waited for the right time.   
  
He had finally decided what to say when his mind had drifted back to the night he had first realized a hidden part of Emma that she rarely showed to anyone. One night, while the other three were out of the Sanctuary, Adam had been roaming the hallways, a little bored and looking for something to occupy his mind, something other than work, he had come across her lounging in the library. She was still recovering from her last fight with the GSA and wasn't quite up to par yet. Taking it easy she had fallen asleep in the library while reading, curled up in the chair by the corner.  
  
Shaking his head with a smile he crossed to her side and picked the sleeping woman up in his arms. Through the hallways he had carried her, curled up in his arms, her one hand laid flat against his chest while the other clutched her book. Silently he had entered her room, laying her out on the bed and covering Emma with a blanket. It wasn't until he was removing the book from her hands that she woke. Blinking she smiled up at Adam, a sleepy smile. 'What happened?' she asked him.  
  
'You fell asleep in the library.'  
  
Stretching she sat up in the bed and ran her hands through her hair. Looking around she met his eyes with her won confused one. 'This isn't the library.'  
  
Adam laughed. 'No, it isn't. I didn't think you would be too comfortable sleeping in the chair like you were.'  
  
'Thank you,' she smiled again.  
  
Nodding to her he had turned to leave when he realized he still had the book in his hands. Glancing down at it he was surprised to see what it was. 'Poe?' he asked, his brow drawn in curiosity. 'I never would have pegged you for someone who liked Poe.'  
  
'I don't,' she replied. 'Not really anyway. Just this one poem he wrote. I had to memorize it for my high school English class and it always kind of stuck with me. I guess I knew what he was talking about, how he felt when he wrote it.'  
  
Opening it to the page she had marked Adam had read the poem and he realized what she was talking about. It was a poem that marked a time in life that was hard enough as it was, a time made even more difficult by her mutancy.  
  
Pulled from his thoughts when the music dimmed he could hear her talking to someone, a patrol guard of some sort. Waiting until the talking ceased, knowing he had to hurry before the music was turned up, he began to speak.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
"From childhood's hour I have not been  
As others were-I have not seen  
As others saw- I could not bring  
My passions from a common spring.  
From the same source I have not taken  
My sorrow; I could not awaken  
My heart to joy the same tone;  
And all I loved, I loved alone.  
Then-in my childhood-in the dawn  
Of a most stormy life-was drawn  
From every depth of good and ill  
The mystery which binds me still:  
From torrent, or the fountain,  
From the red cliff of the mountain,  
From the sun that round me rolled  
In its autumn tint of gold-  
From the lightning in the sky  
As it passed me flying by-  
From the thunder and the storm,  
And the cloud that took the form  
(When the rest of heaven was blue)  
Of a demon in my view."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
The voice seemed to be coming from nowhere and yet at the same time from everywhere. At first she had been scared but as she listened to the words, the soft voice that was saying them, she wasn't scared. It seemed familiar, like seeing an old friend after pending years in solitary confinement. A warm blanket on a chilly night; Eve knew them, she liked them, she wanted them. But where were they coming from?  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I'm a friend," the voice, a mans voice, replied. "You don't need to be afraid, I just want to talk to you."  
  
Looking around for some sort of electronic device Eve found nothing. "How did you get access to this car? When did you plant your bug?"  
  
"There's no bug," he said soothingly. "I'm not threat to you."  
  
"The hell you're not. For all I know you could be the GSA."  
  
He laughed. "Believe me... I'm not part of the GSA, I give you my word on that."  
  
"And how am I supposed to know that your word is good? Eckhart himself would tell me he wasn't GSA if it would get him what he wanted. Whoever you are, leave me the hell alone."  
  
Turning the volume back up Eve couldn't hear the voice anymore but it didn't stop her mind from pushing itself into overdrive. Who was that man? How had he found her, how did he know her? Why had he contacted her? Questions rang out in her head as she drove but more so than that was the feelings she had felt when she had heard his voice. She didn't know the voice; it wasn't one that Eve had heard before, and yet...  
  
Sighing in frustration Eve gunned the car even faster, eager to get back to The Haven even though it was still almost ten hours away, to the feelings of peace that flooded over her when she was there. Refusing to let herself think about the voice that had read the poem to her Eve raced back to the club as fast as she could, dumping the car and pulling another one from the garage in trade. She wasn't going to take any chances. By the time she pulled into the parking ramp night had fallen and the club was hopping, filled with people ready to dance and drink the night away.   
  
Tired from her lack of sleep Eve bypassed the dance floor and headed straight down to the water garden. Just sitting down she heard someone approaching from behind. Lying back she raised her eyes to see Mixy approaching with an excited look on her face. Eve could feel the ferals excitement flowing over her, dripping from every pore on the woman's body. "We're having a meeting in the office, we've been waiting for you to get back."  
  
"Mixy, I'm beat," Eve complained. "I haven't slept in over two days!"  
  
Smiling she pulled Eve up to her feet. "Quit your whining, it'll only be for an hour or so. Besides, Eric will be here soon, he says you missed your last injection and he has to get it to you before the headaches start up again."  
  
Still whining, playfully, Eve followed Mixy up to the offices on the third floor. "Guys can't I just sit this one out?" she pleaded when she entered the office. Facing her three friends sitting at the desk she stood before them with her hands on her hips. "Honestly, I'm drop dead tired and I just want to sleep till next week."  
  
"Eve..."  
  
"I've been on the road for thirty hours!"  
  
"We know but Eve..."  
  
Eve opened her mouth to speak but Pete held up his hand to stop her. "I know your tired, Eve but there's a guy we went you to meet."  
  
"No!" Eve cried, her eyes wide and hands held out to stop what she knew was coming next. "You did not set me up on another blind date! Mixy, you know how I hate that! I specifically told you..."  
  
"It's not like that Eve!" Mixy cut in. "You remember that story one of the New Mutants told us about, that group of people who called themselves Mutant X?"  
  
"Yeah I remember. They guy was drunk, he had no idea what he was talking about."  
  
"That's just it, Eve. He did know what he was talking about. Mutant X really does exist."  
  
Throwing herself into a chair, exhausted but intrigued Eve stared at her friends. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Take a look for yourself," Pete motioned to the other side of the office.   
  
For the first time Eve noticed that there were other people in the room, an older man and a younger one. She recognized them from the park. The older one had dark hair and equally dark eyes, but they were kind, she could see it in his face. The younger one was fair-haired and Eve suddenly realized that she knew him. "I know you," she said. The two men glanced at each other in shock before looking back to Eve. "You came into the club a little while ago. There was a friend with you, the tall guy with dark hair."  
  
"You mean Brennan?"  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know his name, I just remember that he kept staring at me."  
  
"Eve, this is Adam, he's the leader of Mutant X," Jackie introduced the older man to her. "The other one is Jesse."  
  
Nodding to each Eve fought to keep the yawn from escaping her mouth. "Hi," she said, not quite succeeding.  
  
"You'll have to forgive our friend here, she just got back from delivering a shipment across the border. By the way, how'd it go?"  
  
"Good," she replied, closing her eyes and leaning her head back for a moment. "Jinni was still a little scared but Marta took her right under her wings like always. And she's glad you're feeling better."  
  
"You look tired," Adam commented.  
  
Smiling, not bothering to open her eyes, Eve said, "You would be too if you hadn't slept in over two days." Sighing she raised her head and opened her eyes. "So what's the deal? How did we make contact with Mutant X?"  
  
"Actually, they made contact with us. After we rescued Jinni from the park they decided they'd better come find us and see what we're all about."  
  
"It seems a waste to have two different teams working on two different strategies just to reach the same goal. I would like to propose that we combine our efforts and work as one team."  
  
Unable to keep his eyes from straying back to Emma, Eve as she was called now, Adam made himself glance around the room at all of them, never staying on just one person. Seeing her, up close and personal, Adam could see that Emma had changed quite a bit in her time away from them. Not just the purple hair and the little tattoo under her jaw, but her body and eyes as well. Emma had lost weight and Adam could see that the light that normally shone from her eyes was dimmed. But he could also see a sadness in her eyes, one that never really went away and he couldn't help but wonder at it.  
  
"You want us to join Mutant X?" Pete asked, glancing at Mixy. "I don't know about Jackie or Eve but I know what I think. This is Mixy's fight, I'll leave the decision up to her."  
  
Jackie nodded her agreement and everyone looked to Eve who was sitting back in the chair. Looking from Adam to Mixy she nodded. "Ditto. It's your call Mixy."  
  
Taking a deep breath the feral thought it over for a few minutes before smiling at Adam. "The whole reason I started doing this was to save New Mutants from the GSA. You seem to be a lot better at it than I do." Nodding, "We're in."  
  
Adam smiled. "Good. The first thing we'll need to do is..."  
  
The door opened and Eric walked in, taking a moment to scan the room. Though she was half-asleep Eve could feel the surprise that rang out from their doctor friend. "Don't worry about it Eric," she called out to him. "They're friends now."  
  
Moving his glance to Eve he stayed in the doorway. "Eve, its time for your shot. Let's go get it taken care of."  
  
"Do I have to?" she yawned. "I'd much rather sleep here and do the whole needle thing later. Really Eric, just let me sleep for a little while and then you can look me over."  
  
"Sorry, Eve, we gotta do this now, lets go."  
  
"Excuse me," Adam interrupted. "Shot? What shot?"  
  
"None of you business," Eric bit out, glaring at Adam.  
  
"Eric!" Jackie cried. "You don't have to be so defensive. Adam and his team have invited us to join them, I'm sure he's just making sure Eve is okay."  
  
"I am her doctor, I'll decide if she's okay or not."  
  
"Jeez Eric," Eve cried as she pushed herself out of her chair. "Don't be so territorial." Pausing in front of Adam she reached out to shake hands, Adam then Jesse, to say her goodbye. "You can ignore him, he's just trying to play the alpha male. I promise, he's harmless."  
  
Leaving with Eric Eve trudged down the hallway to her bedroom and flopped down on the bed. She felt the prick of the needle in her arm and the familiar pressure as the injection streamed its way into her body. Already exhausted she was asleep before Eric had finished his exam. Gathering his supplies Eric left The Hurricane and got into his car, driving a ways down the road before stopping and pulling out his cell phone. Dialing the number he knew by heart Eric waited until someone picked up the other end.   
  
"We have a problem."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sitting behind his desk Mason Eckhart listened as the agent gave him the breakdown of his mission. This could indeed prove to be a problem. On the other hand, it could also be the key to wiping out Mutant X once and for all.  
  
"You are to proceed as you have been for the last several months. Nothing has changed except now you have a new addition to your mission. Infiltrate Mutant X headquarters. I want all the information you can get your hands on. Use whatever or whomever you need to get me that information. Do you understand?"  
  
Standing before the cold metal desk Agent Eric Waverly nodded his head. "Yes, sir."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Answers  
  
  
Adam was sitting at the bar of the Hurricane, the beat pounding into his ears, watching the dance floor. He'd come to meet with the four friends again, to iron out some details of their joining forces but he'd been sure to come early with the rest of his team to give them some time to unwind. Sipping at his beer he looked around at the club, the people, and wondered where Eve was. He'd already spoken with the other three, Jackie, Pete and Mixy, but Eve hadn't shown up yet.  
  
They hadn't mentioned anything to her yet about who she really was. It was hard on each of them to not pull the young woman into their arms; to hold her tight and tell her much they had all missed her. It was hard to see her, to be in the same room as her and to keep his mouth shut. But he would do it; he would suffer through the beginning to attain what he was seeking.   
  
Emma.  
  
Reaching for his beer Adam saw a commotion near the doorway as a small group of men threw a woman up onto their shoulders, parading her through the dance floor towards the bar. Over the already blaring music he heard Mixy riling up the crowd. "Hey all you freaks out there! Give it up for our BarGirl straight from the Garden of Eden, Eve! Watch out for them apples!"  
  
Cheers and whistles rang out in the air as Eve jumped from their shoulders onto the bar. The music in the air shifted to a faster beat and Eve pulled Mixy up onto the bar with her. Together the two young women began to dance atop the bar, bending and swaying, twisting and turning to the beat of the music. Never before had Adam seen Emma dance the way she was atop the bar. He'd seen her out dancing before but never with the freedom she displayed tonight. Adam couldn't help but wonder if it was a result of her loosing whatever had inhibited Emma or if it was the life that Eve had been leading for the last two and a half months.  
  
When the song was over the crowd erupted with cheer as Eve and Mixy jumped down from the bar. Laughing they each reached for a shot and downed it before disappearing into the dance floor, chatting to each other. Scanning the crowds he saw them climbing the stairs and disappear into the office on the third floor. The beer forgotten Adam made his way through the crowds, his team falling in step behind him as the too climbed the stairs to the office. Entering the large room they each took a seat and watched as one woman paced the floor while the other watched from the chair in the corner.  
  
"Eve..."  
  
"How could you, Mixy?"  
  
"He's a nice guy!"  
  
"I don't care!" she yelled, flinging her hands in the air.  
  
"Woah, girl," Pete called to her as he entered the office behind Jackie. "What's wrong with Eve?"  
  
"She just found out about Rick," Mixy replied.  
  
"Aw, Mixy, you didn't?"  
  
"I did..." she sighed.  
  
"Who's Rick?" Jesse piped in, curious as to why she, would be so upset.  
  
"One of Mixy's friends," Pete answered as he sat himself on the desk. "She tried to set him up with Eve."  
  
"Which I have told her repeatedly that I do not want!" Eve pointed out.  
  
"Why not? He is a great guy!" Mixy defended her friend. "I don't get you sometimes, Eve. You refuse to date anyone. There isn't a single guy who has approached you that you would consider for even half a second! What are you waiting for? You could have any guy you want!"  
  
"I don't want just any guy!" Eve cried, facing Mixy.   
  
"Then what do you want?" she yelled back, frustrated at the side of her friend the feral couldn't figure out.  
  
"I want him!"  
  
Putting her hand over her mouth Eve stared at Mixy with wide eyes. What had she just said? Him? Staring at Mixy, she staring back, the room was silent after her outburst, each one staring at her. "Eve?"  
  
"I..." she didn't know what to say.  
  
"Do you remember somebody?" Jackie asked softly from her seat.  
  
"I don't know... not exactly. Not a person, not a name, just... things, feelings mostly." Brow drawn in confusion her pacing became less frustrated and more thoughtful, her arms wrapped around herself. "He... He's kind and... And he... he's smart. He's so smart Mixy, he's a genius!" Sighing she raised her eyes to the ceiling, caught up in her feelings of the little bit she could remember. "No matter what happened, no matter what I was going through... I always knew that so long as I was with him, near him... that he would make everything okay. He took care of everything, of everyone. He made me feel safe."  
  
A tear drifted down her cheek as Eve realized, "And I can't even remember his name."   
  
Needing to leave before she lost control Eve fled the office, running down the hallways and stairwell, through the dance floor until she was at the door that would lead to her Haven. Collapsing onto a bench in her water garden she fought her tears as best she could, hardening the wall that she had built around the confusion, fear and pain of the life she didn't know.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
The stars were still shining brightly in the sky as Adam walked along the shores of the beach. The Double Helix was cloaked a little ways away, hidden from view even though there was no one around to see it. He needed some time alone, away from everyone else; he needed to think. Since Emma, 'Eve' he reminded himself, had fled the club office last night Adam's mind had been a jumble of conflicting thoughts. Did he tell her? Did he keep it to himself until she began to remember more of her life as Emma instead of Eve? Sitting in that office, listening to her describe a man she couldn't remember, it had taken all of Adams will power and self control to keep quiet. Every time he saw her it got more and more difficult to do so, to see her and let her think he was nothing more than a new friend.  
  
No one had known.   
  
They had only just figured it out themselves. Adam had to smile when he thought about it. It had happened in such an absurd way. They had been sitting in the lab, arguing over a hypothetical treatment for an equally hypothetical disease. She had declared that in this particular hypothetical case, the cure was worse than the disease but he had disagreed, arguing the opposite. Finally, after hours of debating the issue back and forth she stood and dug into the pocket of her skirt.  
  
'I'll flip you for it,' she'd smiled producing a small coin. 'Winner is declared right and the looser has to admit it in whatever way the winner decrees.'  
  
'You're on,' he'd grinned back. The odds had been good; a fifty-fifty split down the middle. Emma had flipped the coin, he calling heads and she tails. What had happened next Adam still had to laugh about. The small coin had landed and spun around before stopping still on its edge, standing completely upright. Staring at the coin in disbelief they had looked up at each other and laughed. 'What now?' Adam had asked when they'd finally stopped laughing.  
  
'A compromise,' Emma answered. 'I agree that for some people the disease is worse than the cure if you agree that for others the cure is worse than the disease.'  
  
Extending his hand Adam had smiled, 'I can live with that.' Taking his hand they shook on it but just before releasing her hand he'd added, 'My side just happens to have more people,' he'd teased.  
  
'Ooh, you...!' she laughed, gripping his hand all the more tightly.   
  
Twisting her around so that she was trapped against him he held her there. 'Admit it, you know I'm right.'  
  
'Never,' she fought back, trying to escape from the iron lock of his arms. After a few halfhearted attempts she had laughed. 'Don't make me hurt you Adam.'  
  
'Oh really? You think you could take me?' Leaning his head down to whisper, 'It looks like I've got you in a bit of a tight spot,' he'd been unprepared for what happened next.  
  
Twisting in his arms so that she faced him, her arm bent behind her instead of in front, Emma had stopped short mere centimeters from his face, so close he could feel her breath hitting his face. Staring down at her Adam didn't know what had possessed him to close the distance between them but he had. And nothing had been the same since.   
  
Two days later Emma had gone out on a mission to retrieve some New Mutants with Brennan and never returned.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
"I can't do it anymore, Adam!"  
  
Taking a deep breath Adam looked up to face the young feral who was pacing the floor behind him. Her hands digging into her hips Shalimar was frustrated and Adam could understand where the frustration was coming from. It was getting more and more difficult for all of them, seeing Emma nearly every day and not being able to hug her, hold her close, and tell her how much they had missed her; how happy they were that she was alive. Since they'd seen her in the park everyone's excitement had grown to the point where it was becoming too difficult to keep it to themselves. More than once they had caught themselves just in the nick of time, the word already on their lips, all too ready to call her Emma instead of Eve.  
  
"She's right Adam, we should say something."  
  
Looking past the pacing woman Adam faced the two men who were lounging beyond her. "Brennan, we can't, not yet."  
  
"But why? Maybe saying something will spark a memory," Jesse intervened.  
  
"Or maybe it would push her even farther away!" Adam's patience was beginning to wear thin. "We lost her for two months because we thought she was dead, I'll be damned if we're going to lose her forever because we pushed her too fast." Pausing Adam pulled at the back of his neck. Softening his voice he continued. "I know this is hard on you, it's hard on all of us, but we have to be patient."  
  
Silence fell as they took in his words and the appearance of the man who was usually so calm and collected; Shalimar's words ringing in their ears, 'He loved her.' Sitting on the stairs in the main room Adam put his head into his hands, exhausted both mental, physically, and emotionally. Glancing at each other the three friends realized how hard it was on Adam, even harder for him than it was for them.  
  
"So," Jesse began, folding and refolding his arms nervously. "When are we gonna show them the Sanctuary?"  
  
"I don't know yet. I've completed the background checks on almost all of them. So far their stories check out. Mixy is a feral whose brother was killed a few years ago when the GSA tried to recruit him. Jackie is an elemental who is an ex dancer. She did some time in a State Juvenile Hall for petty theft. Pete doesn't have any sort of a record, he co-owns the club with Mixy. He appears to have exceedingly fast rejuvenating capabilities and an almost impenetrable immune system."  
  
"So what's the problem?"  
  
"It's Eric." Shaking his head Adam stood to pace the floor while he thought. "I can't find any information that's out of place with the story he told us about his life but it all seems..." Sighing he folded his arms, glaring at the floor while he concentrated. "It just seems like he's repeating it from memory."  
  
"Well it was his life," Brennan pointed out. "He should have it memorized."  
  
"No, not like this. The words that he used, the sentences that he said; it was an exact duplicate of the records I found in the system. It's as though he read and memorized the records."  
  
"What are you saying Adam?" Shalimar asked him.  
  
"I'm not sure, I just don't trust him."  
  
Staring at him Shalimar realized what he wasn't saying. "You don't think he'd be hurting Emma... do you?"  
  
Closing his eyes for a moment Adam was silent.   
  
"Adam?" Jesse pressed.  
  
Shaking his head he tried to think of how he could say what he thought without worrying them any farther.  
  
"Adam!" they all cried in unison, their voices filled with worry and concern.  
  
Raising his eyes to meet them, "I'm not sure. Why is she the only one to receive a shot on a weekly basis? I need to find out what is in that injection. He claims it's for the headaches but I have yet to see any sign, even the smallest twinge of a headache on Emma's part. That's what I want you to do, stick with Emma, at least one of you at all times. If he gives her an injection try to get the syringe afterwards. If you can't get that then get me some of her blood, the sooner the better. We have to find out what's in that injection."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
She could almost see his face.  
  
This man that she knew, that she loved. She knew now that she did love him, with all her heart. He was holding her, telling her everything would be okay. Suddenly the man was gone, she was alone in a place that felt as safe as a mothers arms. Looking around she saw stairs leading up to a platform, a water garden just beyond it. She knew this place; it felt... like home. She was home, but she didn't recognize it. And yet at the same time she did. It was an odd feeling to know this place and yet not know anything about it. As she stared at the open room laughter floated out to her from the hallway and a trio of friends entered the room, two men and a woman. They were laughing at a shared joke when one of them noticed her.  
  
"Hey!" he cried, why couldn't she see his face? "Welcome home."  
  
"Where've you been hiding?" the woman asked her as she hugged her close. "We miss you."  
  
"Yeah, you should come back to us, it's not the same without you," the third one said as he hugged her.  
  
"I..." she began, unsure of what to say. Looking down at her hands she twisted the ring on her finger. As she twisted it the ring seemed to glow and a whispered name rang echoed in her mind. She couldn't make out what the word was but she knew it was important. If only she could understand the whisper. If only she could make out what the word was. She knew it was important; it was they key to unlocking the entire puzzle.   
  
If only she could figure it out.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sitting in the middle of the water garden Eve's back was straight, her legs crossed and hands facing up as she meditated on the dream she had woken up from only a few moments ago. Every night for months now it had been the same dream, the same faceless people. Trying to recapture it she had headed down to the garden for some meditation. One of the new people, Jesse had already been in the garden but he left her alone, continuing his own stretching exercises. Eyes closed, picturing the dream she knew as well as the back of her hand, she could hear Eric the moment he opened the door.  
  
Descending the stairs he headed straight towards her, Jackie by his side. "Eve, its time for your medical. You were supposed to come see me last night, why didn't you?"  
  
"I was busy," she replied, her eyes still closed. Though her tone was friendly Eve's heart cringed at his presence. Despite all the good that he was doing for the team there was something about him that Eve just didn't trust. She couldn't put her finger on it, couldn't name or date it, but it was there and it refused to go away.  
  
"Well, let's go," he shot back. "I need to get to you before the headaches do."  
  
"Hey guys," Pete called from the stairs. "Emergency Pow-Wow in the office, you all gotta come."  
  
Getting up from her place on the ground Eve turned to leave when Eric grabbed her arm. Jesse moved to stand behind her and, glancing over Eve's head, Eric released her arm at the sight of the young man's menacing glare. Walking up the stairs and through the hallways the four people approached the office. Jesse entering first, Jackie behind him, Eric held Eve back. "Let's go, Eve,"  
  
"Let go of me, Eric," she cried, wrenching her arm from his grasp and entering the office even as she spoke. "I've decided to stop the injections."  
  
"You can't," he said, grabbing her arms once more as they stood in the middle of the office. "The headaches will start up again and you'll be in too much pain to do anything."  
  
Sighing she removed her arm one more time from his grasp and turned to face him. Though he towered a good foot over her she glared up at him with a clear gaze. "I said no, Eric. I'm through taking the injections. If I'm going to have to deal with the headaches then I want to deal with them on my own. I refuse to live a life dependant on drugs."  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about," he began.  
  
Cutting him off Eve held up her hand to silence him. "I've made my decision Eric, there's nothing more to talk about."  
  
"Mixy, tell her," he said turning to the head of the team. Eric could tell he'd get no farther with Eve and appealed to the higher authority.  
  
"I'm sorry, Eric. Eve and I have already talked about this and I've decided to abide by her decision. Do whatever you can to help her, but no more injections."  
  
"You don't know what you're doing!" he yelled. "I am trying to help you Eve!" Letting him yell Eve turned her back and stared out the window, she'd have no further part in this conversation. "You'll come crying to me when the pain gets to be too much, Eve. I just hope its not too late by the time you realize I was right."  
  
Watching him storm from the office Eve sat down in the nearest chair. Only then did she realize that there were other people in the room. Smiling weakly at Adam, Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse she sat back with a sigh, folding her arms over her chest and staring out at nothing.  
  
"He's right, Eve," Jackie said suddenly. "He's trying to help you and your not being fair."  
  
"Jackie..." Mixy said, trying to stop the woman from coming to the defense of her boyfriend over her friend. "It's still Eve's decision."  
  
"Well it's wrong!" Turning to face Eve Jackie fought for the man she loved. "Eric has done nothing but help you and you turn on him like some ungrateful little witch."  
  
Her attention taken Eve stood and stared at Jackie. "Excuse me?" she cried in disbelief.  
  
"You heard me! He has spent hours taking care of you and you just turn on him when it suits you!"  
  
"Hey, hang on here girls," Pete tried to interfere before things got out of control.  
  
"Shut up, Pete!" Jackie cried, cutting him off. "I am so sick of your attitude, Eve. Everything is always about you! You came on board and you started making changes to everything! Suddenly nothing we do is good enough and we have to change to suit you!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"You know damn well what I'm talking about! Eve wants the job at the bar... she gets it. You wanted your water garden and you got it. You wanted in on the team; you got it. You want to make changes to our computer system; you got it. Whatever Eve wants Eve gets!" Jackie yelled, her frustrations coming to the fore.  
  
Silence fell, the occupants of the office staring at the two women in disbelief. Mutant X watched the pair nervously, wondering if this would come to blows, while Mixy and Pete just stared in incomprehension. They'd never seen Jackie loose her temper with Eve so quickly. Her jaw twitching Eve stared back at Jackie.  
  
"You think I get everything I want?" she began, her voice low but steely. "You think I can just snap my fingers and get whatever I want, is that it?" Taking a step closer to Jackie Eve pointed a finger at herself. "I can never get what I want, Jackie! No one can give me what I really want!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jackie demanded.  
  
"What do I want?" Eve's eyes were wide, anger and pain filling them. "I want to know who my parents are. I want to know if I have any brothers or sisters. What kind of music do I like? What's my favorite food? What vegetable do I hate? Do I have a car or an apartment somewhere? How about a job, where do I work? Do I have friends outside of the three of you? Where did I live? Which do I like better, skirts or pants? What the hell is my favorite color, Jackie?"   
  
With each point Eve took a step closer to Jackie, her voice raising with each question, hands flailing, finger pointing, eyes tearing until the tears were rolling down her cheeks in a torrential downpour.  
  
"But you know what?" she said softly, her anger suddenly gone as though someone had flipped a switch. Sadness and pain filled her face as her voice broke with tears. "None of that matters. I could care less if I never find any of that out because in the end it doesn't matter. There is only one thing that I want," she whispered, "And I'll never get it."  
  
"What do you want, Eve?" Mixy asked softly, a tear resting on the lash of her dark eyes. "Tell us what you want."  
  
Eve's face crumpled with tears. "I just want to go home," she sobbed. Overcome with the weight of her emotions Eve stumbled into Jackie's arms, the young woman all too ready to catch her friend, sorry for all the pain she had caused by her earlier outburst. Holding her Eve close as she sobbed Jackie stroked her hair softly, apologizing for everything she had said.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Eve," she cried. "I'm so sorry." Hugging Eve close tears fell from Jackie's eyes. "You do such a good job of hiding your pain that I forget the hell you've been living through. I'm so sorry, honey."  
  
From his seat on the couch, watching the women before him Adam realized that the time was here. It was time to finally speak up. His heart breaking at the sight of her tears and pain he cleared his throat. "It's blue," he said, his eyes never leaving her tear-stained face. All eyes turned to him, unsure of what he was talking about. "Your favorite color is blue. You always said that it reminded you of a clear sky and a good day. That no matter what was going on, nothing really bad would ever happen on a day when the sky was blue."  
  
Still crying Eve looked up at Adam in confusion. "How...?"  
  
"You prefer skirts," Shalimar said, taking Adam's cue. "You like the way they make you feel, but you wear pants if you know you might run into the GSA because they're easier to fight in."  
  
Meeting Shalimar's face Eve saw the tears in the ferals eyes.  
  
"Carrot's," Jesse spoke next. "You hate them cooked but you love them raw. Every time someone gives you cooked carrots you'll swallow them whole and make a face because you don't like the texture when they're cooked."  
  
Confused, shocked, bewildered, Eve stared at the fair-haired young man.  
  
"If you can dance to the music, you like it," Brennan said next. "You really don't have a favorite genre of music. All you care about is if it has a beat you can dance to. You love to dance."  
  
Staring wide eyed at the four people she'd only met a few weeks ago Eve was struck speechless. They were answering her questions. She didn't know if the answers were right or not, but they were giving her answers. "How do you know those things?" she whispered breathlessly.  
  
Adam smiled at her and sat forward a little in his seat. "Because we know you." Pointing to her ring, "That ring you're wearing, it's not just a ring. It's a communication device, a comm. link. We all have one." Raising his hand to show her his ring, the other three following suit; his eyes never left hers. "That's how I was able to talk to you in the car that day." Her eyes widened even farther at the reminder of that day. "The poem was by Edgar Allen Poe. You don't really care for his work as a while but you do like that one poem because..."  
  
"It's me," she finished for him, unsure of how she knew that, staring at the man who had given her the answers she'd wished for every day for three months.   
  
From the back of her mind a small bubble rose to the surface, a memory breaking through the barrier between her life now and her life then. But with the memory came the pain. Gasping at the suddenness of it Eve closed her eyes and doubled over, her hands coming up to cradle her head. She could hear Jackie calling to her but the pain was too great to answer. From the distance she heard someone screaming, realizing it was she when her throat grew painfully sore. Over her she could see Jackie and Mixy, they were talking to her but she could barely hear them.  
  
"Eve!" Mixy cried. Looking up to Pete she pleaded with him. "What do we do?"  
  
"Eric," Jackie cried. "He's still downstairs in The Haven, he can help!"  
  
"But Eve said..."  
  
"She needs it, Mixy!" Pete cried.  
  
Looking down at her friend, the pain forcing screams from her mouth and filling the air. Nodding she turned her full attention to Eve while Jackie ran off to get Eric before it was too late. Realization dawned in Eve's eyes and she shook her head. "No!" she cried. "No, Mixy no!"  
  
"Eve, you're in pain! It will help, Eric will help!"  
  
"No!" she cried. "Not Eric!"  
  
Struggling to get away when she saw Eric approaching, uncapping a needle as he walked, Eve was pinned down by Mixy, Pete, and Jackie. Twisting and straining to get away Eve saw Adam and the others trying to calm her down. He could tell she was in pain and Adam needed to stop it but before he could do anything they had called for Eric and the man was approaching with a syringe filled with the tannish liquid.   
  
"No!" Eve screamed. "I don't want it! Not Eric! Not Eric!" she cried, terror and pain filling her eyes at the sight of the approaching man. Even as he kneeled next to her she continued to fight. Twisting her body, trying to get away, the pain searing through her entire head and up and down her spinal cord she barely felt the prick of the needle. As the pressure of the injection entered her body another little bubble broke to the surface and Eve grasped onto it like a drowning man would a float. "Not Eric! I want Adam!" she cried.   
  
Looking to the dark haired, dark eyed, older man kneeling next to her she was horrified that she hadn't recognized the man she loved before this moment. "Adam! Please!" she cried.  
  
But it was too late.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five - Revelations and Apocalypses  
  
  
The young woman's screams were silenced as the drugs made their way through her system in a matter of seconds. Unconscious, she lay on the floor in the middle of the circle of men and women all staring at the one man whose name she had screamed last. As Eric pulled the needle from her arm and set it on the ground for a moment to check her pulse Shalimar reached out with her feral reflexes and snatched it away, carefully tucking it into her pocket. Reaching out Adam pushed Eric out of the way and examined her himself. Putting his fingers to her neck he felt a pulse beating string and sure. For a moment he closed his eyes against the fear of what might have happened, his mind imagining the worst.  
  
"What happened?" Mixy cried. "Why is she unconscious?"  
  
"She was overcome by the pain," Eric explained.  
  
"We have to get her to the lab, I need to examine her," Adam interrupted.  
  
"She's fine," Eric glared. "The headaches had a chance to get farther than before and it induces a sleepy state. Once she sleeps it off she'll be fine."  
  
"Listen to me you little..."  
  
"Adam!" Shalimar interrupted, pulling on his arm. "Give the man a chance, he is Eve's doctor after all. Besides your lab is occupied by that project you told us about a few days ago remember?" Hoping he remembered what she was talking about Shalimar smiled when the light dawned in his eyes and he nodded. "Why don't Jesse and Brennan stay here with Eve and Pete and then you, me, Mixy and Jackie can go back to the Sanctuary to get them acquainted with it?"  
  
"All right," he conceded. "Brennan, you and Jesse stay here. We'll get the ladies set up at the Sanctuary first and then we'll come back for they guys," purposefully pointing at both Eric and Pete."  
  
Nodding, both Brennan and Jesse understood what Adam wasn't saying. Take care of Emma. That was the real reason they were being left behind. Getting to his feet Adam stepped aside and let Pete pick her up from the floor to carry her to bed, Jesse following them while Brennan remained with Eric. Taking a deep breath to calm himself Adam forced a smile and motioned for the three women to precede him out of the office. Up to the roof and into the Double Helix they were in the air before either Mixy or Jackie had a chance to speak what was on their mind. Facing Adam it was Mixy who got her question out first.  
  
"How do you know Eve?" she demanded.  
  
Sitting back in his chair, Shalimar at the helm, Adam told them the story. "She is a member of Mutant X. When she fell from the parking ramp we assumed she was dead."  
  
"I knew that one guy looked familiar!" Jackie cried. "Brennan, right? He was the one who was with her that day wasn't he?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Tell us about her," Mixy asked. Her mind kept replaying the scene from the office; the fear that had gripped her heart when she had heard the screams was still too fresh in her mind. "I'd like to know who my friend really is."  
  
Starting at the very beginning of Emma's relationship with the team he told her everything that he deemed necessary. Leaving out quite a few details he gave them a character sketch of the woman they knew as Eve. As he told them he could see them nodding at certain parts, Eve and Emma not so different after all. It was in her nature to help people, to be kind and friendly, to love people. Staring at him, listening as he spoke about Eve, 'Emma' she reminded herself, Mixy began to realize one very important fact, something Adam hadn't mentioned yet she knew as well as she knew herself. "You love her don't you?"  
  
Stopping, hands mid gesture, Adam stared at the feral sitting across from him. Dropping his hands into his lap he couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Yeah, I do."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Moaning in her sleep she rolled over, hugging the pillow tightly in her arms, before resettling in the bed. Sitting in a chair across the room Jesse watched her sleeping and he couldn't stop the rage that boiled in his chest. Whatever that creep had done to her he would pay for it, Jesse would make sure of it. He could still remember the way it had felt; as though his heart had been ripped out when Brennan had told them what had happened to Emma. She was the closest thing he had to a little sister. Shalimar was his older 'sister', always playing the protector, but Emma... Emma was different. From the moment they had met he'd felt an insane urge to keep her safe, to protect her. She'd always seemed so innocent and naïve to him. Just like a little sister.  
  
Running a frustrated hand through his hair Jesse stood and began to pace the small room. In the middle of his tenth lap Shalimar's voice rang out, cutting through the silence of the room. "Jesse?"  
  
"I'm here, Shalimar. What's going on?"  
  
"We're on our way back to the club. Adam found out what the drug is."  
  
"Well what is it?"  
  
"I'll tell you both when I get there," Adam chimed in. "How's Emma?"  
  
"She's still sleeping."  
  
"Not surprising. She should be up soon. While she's asleep I want you to find Brennan. Make sure Eric hasn't left and keep him away from any sort of communication device until we get there."  
  
"You got it, Adam."  
  
Breaking the comm link, with one last glance at the sleeping woman, Jesse left the room and headed down three flights of stairs to The Haven. Skipping the last few stairs Jesse landed on the floor and spun around to find Brennan and Eric. Locating Brennan in the water garden Jesse headed towards him. With whispered tones he conveyed what Adam had told him a few moments ago. Nodding Brennan pointed to another corner. Looking up he saw the wanted man sitting near the computer, typing in a program Jesse didn't recognize. "Hey Eric," he called out, walking towards the man. "I was hoping you and I could talk."  
  
"Not interested."  
  
"I'm not giving you a choice," Jesse countered. Standing behind the man Jesse put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him away from the computer. Shoving his hand away Eric glared at Jesse. Facing off with each other the two men were silent.   
  
"Hey come on, guys," Brennan interfered. "Cool it. We don't need this right now."  
  
"He started it," Eric glared, his eyes never leaving Jesse's.  
  
"Oh real mature there buddy," Jesse sneered.  
  
"Shut up Jesse," Brennan scowled at his friend. "Listen everybody just settle down and we'll get along fine."  
  
"I have work to do," Eric said, turning back to the computer.  
  
Glancing at each other, knowing they couldn't let him let back on the computer, Brennan shot out a small bolt of electricity and the computer went dead. Jumping away from the sparks Eric turned and faced Brennan. "You just made a big mistake pal," he ground out. Attacking Brennan the elemental barely had time to react, Eric's fist just missing his face. Back and forth they fought, Pete and Jesse trying to help Brennan and get Eric out of the way, until suddenly a low voltage bolt of electricity shocked all four of them. Crying out in shock they turned to see sparks snapping at the tips of Jackie's fingers.   
  
"What the hell is going on down here?" Mixy asked, stepping off the last step. "The entire room is reeking of testosterone."   
  
Glaring the four men separated from each other, Pete and Jesse between Brennan and Eric. Shooting a look at Pete Mixy crossed the room to check out the computer, sparks still flying from its screen, trying to get it back under control before she lost everything. Raising an eyebrow at his two guys Adam crossed the floor to them. "What happened?"  
  
Shifting his feet Jesse dug is hands into his pockets. "Just talking," he mumbled.  
  
Pressing a soft cloth to Eric's split lip Jackie glared at Jesse. "Talking was not what we just saw here," she scolded all four of the men.  
  
Scowling Eric pulled away from Jackie's nursing. "I gotta get going. I have other patients to see."  
  
"You're not going anywhere." All eyes turned to Adam as he stood, arms folded, face stony. Reaching into his pocket he removed a capped syringe and held it at eye level for Eric to see. "Why?"  
  
"What are you doing with that?"  
  
"Asking you a question, now answer it."  
  
Staring at it, his face as stony as Adam's Eric remained silent.  
  
"Eric? Adam?" Pete said, trying to figure out what had happening. "What's going on here?"  
  
"This is the syringe that Eric used earlier. I did a chemical breakdown of what was inside and I want to know why. Why the hell were you giving this to her?"  
  
"He told you," Jackie interrupted. "Eve gets headaches, it stops the pain."  
  
His eyes never leaving Eric's Adam forced himself to stay calm. "Tell them what it really does." When the man refused to speak Adam told the group for him. "This syringe was filled with Ethelplorinide. Taken in the amounts that he's been giving it sections off a portion of the brain, denying access to it. When the barrier is broken or weakened it induces severe pain. Anytime she began to remember something the headaches would begin. Injecting her with this repaired the wall that stopped her from remembering her life before the injections began." Adam was furious, his fist clenching and unclenching by his side. "I've spoken with her about the first thing she remembered, the very first thing she could recall. All she could remember was waking up in the GSA. That can only mean one thing, Mr. Waverly."  
  
Standing up straighter Eric leveled his gaze at the leader of Mutant X.   
  
"What are you talking about, Adam?" Mixy asked. "What are you trying to say?"  
  
"He's telling you the same thing I've suspected for a few days now."  
  
There, at the bottom of the stairs, stood a sleepy young woman, her eyes blinking away the sleepiness as fast as she could. Her bare feet padding across the wooden floor she stood next to Adam, her eyes never leaving Eric's. Holding up her hand she held a small disk between her fingers. "For a few days now I've been trying to disprove the only reason I could think of but the truth is I couldn't. Every week, just after giving me that injection Eric made a call. He made it from his cell phone so that it would be almost untraceable but I found out the number he called and I called it myself. I bet you can imagine my surprise when I heard the voice on the other end, Eric." Putting the disk in Mixy's hands she moved forward to stand closer to the man she hated with every cell in her body.   
  
"How could you?" she demanded. "How could you do that to all of us? To Jackie?" Lowering his eyes to meet hers they were as cold as the voice she had heard on the other end of the phone. "You son of a bitch."  
  
"What's going on Eve?" Pete asked her, confused.  
  
"Has anyone ever wondered why we lost so many shipments? Why the GSA always seemed to know where we were going to be before we even got there?" Her eyes never leaving Eric's she could feel everyone staring at her. "The bastard ratted us out. Eric is a GSA agent."  
  
Silence fell over the group as her words sank in. Too shocked to speak Mixy and Pete could only stare at Eric while Mutant X closed their eyes, realizing how close everything had really come to being blown to pieces. "You're lying!" Jackie cried. "Eric is no GSA agent! He'd never do that!"  
  
"Jackie, the number I called is a direct line to Mason Eckhart's office! He called it every week! Why would I lie about this?"  
  
"No," she cried, "You're wrong!" Turning to face Eric she put a gentle hand on his arm. "Tell them, Eric, tell them how wrong they are!" With a small shift of his eyes Eric looked down at Jackie, her eyes pleading with him to prove them wrong. Seeing him look at her with such coldness Jackie could feel her heart breaking in two. "Oh my god..." she breathed, backing away from the man she loved. Tears coming to her eyes she turned and fled The Haven, her heart broken.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Pete yelled, landing a punch to his friend's face. Stalking across the room he took the stairs three at a time, racing after Jackie.  
  
"Oh shit," Mixy whispered as she sank into a nearby chair.  
  
As much as she wanted to help her friends who were in pain from Eric's betrayal Eve knew there was something even more important that needed to be taken care of. Turning she addressed Adam. "He hasn't checked in like he was supposed to so they're going to know something is wrong. If he's given them all the information he had then we are in big trouble. All of our contacts, on both sides of the borders, are gonna be in trouble. You have to help us get in contact with them before the GSA gets to them."  
  
"How many people?" Adam asked, his wheels already turning as to how to help.  
  
"About fifty," she said with a frustrated sigh. "We'll have to split up and take various directions. There are ten families across the border, three of them can disappear into the city, there are some safe houses they can use, but the others will need to be relocated. Now there're also four contacts here in our city that will need to be out somewhere safe, at least until we figure out what to do with them."  
  
"All right, Jesse, Shalimar, I want you two to take care of the ones here in the city. Brennan you and..."  
  
"No," Eve interrupted. "If one of us aren't there to give the signals then they'll assume you're the enemy. We'll have to split it evenly between our two teams. Jesse and Mixy can take care of the city contacts and the one that's just outside of the city. Brennan and Pete will head to the south, there're three families down there; Pete knows where they are. Shalimar and Jackie will go to the east while you and I head north. We all know where to find the families and which ones need relocating but I'll need your people to provide the actual places to take them."  
  
Adam nodded. "Done. Brennan you'll use the safe house in Larch, Shalimar, you use The Peterson's over in Voxtin and Jesse you use the safe house on the corner of Elm and Orion. Keep your comm links open people, I don't want anything to go wrong on this, there are too many people depending on us."  
  
"Is Jackie going to be up to this?" Shalimar asked.  
  
Mixy nodded. "Her heart may be broken but she always puts the fight first. She'll do it."  
  
Splitting ways, after locking Eric up in the storage room, the group got underway as fast as they could. Lives were depending on them.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sitting at the helm of the Double Helix Adam entered in the co-ordinates of the third contact past the northern border. In the back he could feel her pacing the confines of the vehicle, her tension as thick as the weight over Adam's heart. Together they had gotten the first two contacts cleared out and to safety in one of the safe houses that Mutant X established. She was scared for them, fearful that the GSA would get to them before they did. These people, the contacts and their families, were very important to her.   
  
Piloting the Double Helix Adam couldn't help but think back to the moment in the office when she had seen him, truly seen him as who he was to her. But now... he could see it in her eyes. She didn't remember him. When she had said his name just before succumbing to the injection he had seen the recognition, the love, in her eyes. But, thanks to that GSA bastard, it was gone and Adam would have to wait another week before he could attempt anything. If he were to try anything sooner than that it would kill her. But he would wait as long as it was needed.  
  
"We're here," Adam called out as he landed in a field to the left of the farmhouse.  
  
Opening the hatch they alighted from the plane and began to walk across the field. While still many yards away Adam saw her raise her hand and wave, a bright, relieved, smile filling her face. Looking to the house he saw a little girl smiling back in one of the windows and he smiled. It was obvious to him how much she cared for the little girl, Annie, as she had told him earlier. Even as the little child disappeared from view the hell of the GSA ensued. A loud boom filled that air as the window that had previously framed the little girl shattered with the heat of the explosion.  
  
Knocked off their feet Adam and Eve were tossed back several yards from the force of the explosion. Recovering from the jolt Adam looked to Eve a few feet away and his heart stopped cold. Unmoving, she lay prone on the ground, burning ashes and cinder dropping all around. Crawling to her side, eyes wide with the fear that she'd been hurt, Adam cupped her face with his hand, fingers feeling for a pulse. The tensions leaving him when he found one Adam closed his eyes for a moment against the pain that had torn through his heart at the prospect of losing her all over again.   
  
Still leaning over her Adam felt her begin to move, brow frowning in pain, a small moan escaping her lips. Blinking she opened her eyes and he saw the realization of what had just happened come creeping into them. With a strangled cry Eve scrambled to her feet and raced toward the burning farmhouse only to be pulled back into Adam's arms as a second explosion ripped through the air, knocking them both to the ground a second time. Staring at the burning house, sitting on the ground, Adams arms wrapped around her, Eve could swear she heard the screaming of little Annie and her mother Marta.  
  
Holding her, preventing her from heading towards the burning house again, Adam's heart tore when he heard her screaming out to the little girl in the window, tears streaming from her eyes. When she realized that both were dead she sank back into his chest, falling silent, staring in shock at the flames and smoke that were rising in the air thirty yards away. Her entire body trembling, Adam held her close, needing to help her with the pain that he could see in her eyes. From the corner of his eye he saw the trio of cars getting closer as the seconds passed. Realizing that it was the GSA, and that they were closing in fast, Adam knew they had to get back to the Double Helix. Pulling Eve to her feet they ran towards the plane, getting in and taking off as fast as they could.   
  
Crumpled in the co-pilots seat Eve curled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, her mind replaying the scene of the little girl waving to her in the window. Her blue eyes, smiling little blue eyes that peered up at her with such innocence and friendship before they were engulfed in flames as the GSA destroyed the house the little girl had grown up in. The GSA were nothing more than monsters that had made Annie's life seem as worthless as a rag one could toss away without a second thought. The little girl Eve had cared for, as if she was here little sister, was dead. Fresh tears joined the old ones in careening down her face as she grieved for her friends, the only family she knew.  
  
Setting a diversionary course back to the club Adam engaged the autopilot and turned to face Eve. Watching her, crying, he knelt before her, covering her hands with his and trying to see her eyes. Staring down at him, seeing the kindness in his eyes, Eve had moved before her brain could register her actions. Reaching out she dropped her arms around his shoulders, leaning against him as she wept. Sighing Adam held her tight, knowing that she was in pain, knowing he had to help her in whatever way he could. But the feel of her in his arms, the smell of her, it was too much to bear and not be able to have her know who he really was. Closing his eyes Adam tried to close off his heart as well.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered from within his arms. "It's just..."   
  
"There's nothing to be sorry for," Adam whispered back. "You loved them."  
  
Nodding, "Yes," she breathed.  
  
Adam was still holding her close when Jesse's voice rang out over the comm link. "Adam?"  
  
Sighing, "Yes, Jesse?"  
  
"We're all back at the club, are you and... um, are you guys done yet?"  
  
"Yes, we're on our way back. We'll see you when we get there. Adam out."  
  
Pulling herself from his arms, remembering that they were still too involved in a fight to take time out for personal thoughts and feelings, she wiped her tears and forced her heart to shut itself off. "We have to go back. They may attack the club once they find out we've gotten all of our contacts to safety." Looking out the view window she closed her eyes for a moment. "Almost all."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Down the stairs to The Haven Eve ignored everyone else in the room and stalked over to the storage room. Unlocking the door she stepped in and grabbed Eric, dragging him out to the main room. Pushing him to the floor she stood over him, his shirt bunched in her hand as she yanked him up closer to her face. "You listen to me and you listen up damn good. I want to know what Eckhart knows about us and I don't want you to skip a single detail, do you understand me? I'll know if you're lying so don't even try." Tossing him aside she took a few steps back and waited for him to begin speaking. With a small wave Adam stopped the questions he could see in everyone's eyes. Now wasn't the time for a recap of what was happening.  
  
"Answer her," he ordered the young agent.  
  
Moving his gaze from Eve to Adam and back Eric knew he was in real trouble. "He knows everything," he said. "The Club, the contacts, the procedure... Mr. Eckhart knows it all."  
  
"And what's he going to do?"  
  
"How the hell should I know?"  
  
"Then take a wild guess!" she cried as she stepped towards him. "And it had better be a good one or so help me...!" grabbing his shirt once more.  
  
"All right!" holding up his hands to stop her. "He'll come to the club when you're least likely to expect it. More than likely he'll come in force. He knows Mutant X is working with you so he'll send the best he's got and he'll send a lot of them. That's all I know, I swear!"  
  
"You better hope so you little son of a bitch," she growled at him. Turning she stormed back to the stairs. "Lock him up and lets meet in the office upstairs," she called back to no one in particular before running up the stairs.  
  
Watching her go they stood in silence for a moment. "Adam? What happened?"  
  
With a pointed stare he motioned for Eric to get back into the closet. "When we got to the third contact there wasn't any time to get them to safety. The house exploded before we could get them out."  
  
"Oh God," Mixy breathed as tears sprang to Jackie's eyes. Between the two women Pete closed his eyes and pulled the both of them close.  
  
"Which one?"  
  
Taking a deep breath Adam replied, "Annie and Marta."  
  
"Shit," Pete breathed, tightening his hold on the two women. "No wonder she took it so hard. Eve took to Annie like an older sister."  
  
"I know," Adam shook his head with a sigh. "We better go; we have to plan for the GSA's attack."  
  
Climbing the stairs he heard them following behind after a moment and soon they had all relocated to the office on the third floor. Seated around the room they planned, back and forth, trying to decide what to do when the GSA attacked. It was inevitable that they would do come and the group of New Mutants refused to hide from the GSA. "They'll attack when their risk of exposure is minimal. They can't run the risk of too many people seeing them so more than likely they'll wait until we're closed."  
  
"Great so that narrows it down to an eighteen hour window."  
  
Glaring out the window Eve folded her arms. She could hear them tossing around ideas behind her but she was deaf to the words. Try as she mad she couldn't focus in on what they were saying, her mind replaying, over and over, the little blue eyes that would never peer down at her form the window again. She could still remember the way Annie had peered at her from behind Marta's legs when they had first met. After introducing herself Marta had pulled her daughter out into the forefront. Eve had gotten down on her knees and smiled at the shy little girl. Almost immediately the shyness left the girl and she pulled on Eve's hands to bring her up the stairs of the little farmhouse. Eve had gotten a tour of the little girl's room and from that moment on Annie had held a place in the very depth of Eve's heart.  
  
"So then we're decided?"  
  
Their conversation breaking back into her thoughts Eve turned around to face the group. "What did we decide on?" she asked softly.  
  
Mixy met her eyes and knew she hadn't been listening as she had stared out the giant window. "We'll sleep in shifts. No more than three people sleeping at a time, the rest will cover the entrances and exits of the club. If they haven't come in a week then we'll re-think everything then." Eve nodded. "All right then. Why don't Eve, Adam and Jackie take the first sleep shift, the rest of us will sort out our positions."  
  
Agreeing Eve looked to Jackie as she slipped out of the room. Sighing she followed her friend down the hall to their shared bedroom and opened the door to see Jackie curled up in her bed, pillow clenched in her arms, silent tears soaking it. Without a word, pushing her own pain to the side for now, Eve climbed into the bed with Jackie pulling her friend into her arms, stroking her hair as she wept for a heart that had been broken by a man she had thought she loved. It wasn't until several hours later, Jackie sound asleep, that Eve was able to slip away and collapse on her own bed. But sleep never came for the young woman.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six:   
  
  
  
Descending the stairwell into The Haven Eve sought out the feral she was looking for. Smiling at Shalimar she relieved her of watch and sent her upstairs to get some sleep. Walking along the walls of the large room she surveyed the area before settling down into the water garden, legs crossed, hands facing palm up on her knees. It had been four days since they had begun to wait for the GSA and the days only seemed to be getting longer. Even when she lay down in her bed she couldn't sleep, her mind too active. The only peace she could get was when she was in her garden. Sitting there, eyes closed, meditating, Eve could see her dream as it played out in her head. Seeing the people, three men and a woman, hearing their voices but not knowing them, seeing them, but not being able to see their faces, was more frustrating than ever.  
  
"Who are you!" she growled in frustration. Flopping back onto her back, arms flung out over her head, she stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Well, my friends call me Adam."  
  
Rolling her eyes back Eve looked back over her head to see Adam walking towards her, a small grin on his face. Chuckling she sat up and turned around to face him. "Adam, eh? I seem to remember hearing that name before."  
  
"Yeah? Well I'm glad you remember it." Lowering himself to the ground a few feet away from her Adam met her gaze with his own smiling brown eyes. "What's got you so frustrated?"  
  
Rolling her eyes again Eve flopped back onto the ground and laced her arms behind her head. "Life." Sighing she shook her head. "I don't know... it just gets so frustrating at times. There are so many questions that I want answered, things I want to know. Even though I know I only have to wait a few more days until my memories start coming back to me I can't stop thinking about it. I keep thinking that maybe if I concentrate really hard that they'll come back sooner. But it's not working and I keep getting more and more frustrated so I tell myself to calm down, to cool it and just let it happen when it's going to happen. And for a few moments I'm okay with that. But then the questions start up again and I get caught up in everything all over again. It's a vicious cycle... and I can't seem to break it."  
  
"So don't."  
  
Looking over to the man sitting a few feet away Eve couldn't help but laugh. "What?"  
  
"Don't," he smiled at her. "Sit up." Waiting a moment he reached over and grabbed her hands, pulling her to sit across from him. "Tell me what you remember."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Never been more serious. Tell me what you remember and I'll see if I can help."  
  
Blinking for a moment she stared at him in incomprehension before realizing what he wanted her to do. "Um... okay." Crossing her legs she faced him and, closing her eyes, tried to recall her dream. "I'm standing in a room. I don't know the room but at the same time I do. There are... things around me. A table I think, and some sort stuff on it but I really can't see what it is. And I'm not alone. There's a man in the room with me. I know him... he's a friend but he's more than that too. I think... I think that this is the man I love. We're standing in this room and he's holding me in his arms, he's holding me so tightly. It's like... it's like he's scared to let go of me. I can hear the words he's saying but I can't hear his voice."  
  
Listening to her, knowing the room and the man she's describing, Adam fought to keep his emotions from his face. "What's he saying?"  
  
"That he was scared." Taking a deep breath Eve thought about the words she heard in her dream. "I had scared him, or at least something that I had done or that had happened to me. I'm not sure what it was but it was really bad."  
  
"What happens next?"  
  
"I'm not in the room anymore, he's gone. But there's another room, a large open one. I don't recognize it but it feels safe. There are stairs that go up to some sort of platform and beyond that is a water garden of some sort. I guess that's why I built this one. It reminds me of the one in my dream. But as I'm standing there I can hear people laughing. There're three of them, two guys and a girl. They're laughing but when they see me they stop and say hi. One of the guys starts; he welcomes me home. The woman and the other man too. They seem really happy to see me but I can't see their faces. I know them and they know me but I can't figure out who they are. That's when I notice the ring on my finger. Its glowing and... I can hear it whispering to me. I know it's a name but I can't figure out what the name is. But it's important whatever it is."  
  
Opening her eyes, looking at Adam, sensing the hidden truth from him, Eve decided to voice her question. "You know me don't you?"  
  
He couldn't look away and he couldn't lie. "Yes."  
  
"Why didn't you say something?" she demanded, angry that he wold have kept something this important from her. "I've known you for over a month now and you never said a word!"  
  
"Eve," Adam began. "I needed to be sure you were really you and that you were ready to hear the truth."  
  
"Bullshit Adam." Adam stared at Eve and he knew the tone of their discussion had changed, she was mad and getting madder by the second. "You knew the instant you saw me!" Getting to her feet she began to pace. "But you didn't say a thing. I have been going crazy for months trying to do research on myself, find out who I am, where my family is, if I even have a family! How could you not say anything?"  
  
"Eve..."  
  
"The other three, they know me too don't they?" she said pausing to face him for a moment. "I can see it in their eyes. You told them to keep quiet didn't you?"  
  
"I didn't want..."  
  
"What does it matter what you wanted Adam? You know everything; you have all the knowledge you need! I don't!" Adam could see the tears beginning to form in her angry and frustrated eyes. She was quickly loosing control of her emotions, the stress catching up to her after all that she'd been through. "You have what I want and you chose not to give it to me!"  
  
Standing Adam tried to defend his decision. "We didn't know what had happened. No one had any clue where you'd gone..." Clamping his mouth shut Adam could feel his control beginning to slip. The pent-up frustration, anger, sadness, joy, pain, worries all beginning to break past every barrier his trained mind had put up.  
  
"So you just give up and forget to tell me who you are and the fact that you know who I am?" she yelled at him. "Thanks a lot Adam! It's nice to know that you were there for me!"  
  
"I thought you were dead, Emma!" Adam finally yelled.  
  
Stopping still in her pacing Eve stared at the man who had just yelled at her, his voice echoing in the large room. Her ears were ringing from his words and the emotions she had heard poured into them. As if caught in a tidal wave Eve was swept away by the emotions pouring from Adam, reading them, feeling them, drowning in them. Fresh tears sprang to her wide eyes as she felt his pain wash over her. Unable to breathe from the pain of Adam's pain Eve backed away, shaking her head. "I can't... I..." Turning Eve fled the basement, racing up the stairs to get out of the club.  
  
"Wait! Eve, wait!" Racing after her Adam reached the top of the stairs in time to see her disappear through the front door. "Dammit!" he yelled, slamming his fist into the door.  
  
She was gone.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Sitting atop the roof of the building across the street Eve looked down on the club lights from above. Tears resting on her lashes she didn't know what to think of everything that had happened only an hour ago. She still wasn't sure what had happened. One minute she had been reliving the dream, telling Adam what she could remember, and the next they were yelling at each other. She could still feel the hurt that had filled her chest, the pain that had poured from Adam and flowed over her heart like a thick fog, cutting off everything else. Wiping away her tear Eve leaned back to stare at the sky. The stars were just beginning to fade, dawn would be coming soon. It was kind of like her mind. The barriers that kept her from remembering her life were beginning to fade just as the stars were. Soon the headaches would start and though they hurt like hell she would gladly suffer through them to get her life back.  
  
From the street below she heard some noise and, looking down to see what it was her heart stopped cold. The GSA had arrived and was surrounding the club. "Oh shit!" Eve whispered to herself. Scurrying to get out of view she hid behind the ledge of the building, frantically trying to figure out a way to warn the people inside of what was coming. Running her hand through her hair she felt it snag on her ring and an idea came into her mind. Raising the ring to her mouth she whispered, "Can anyone hear me?" No reply. "Hey! Is anyone out there listening?" she said a little louder. Still, no reply. "Dammit! How do I turn this thing on? Why didn't I ask Adam how this thing works?" Two whispered words, 'on' and 'Adam', activated the link between their rings and Adam heard the end of her whispered question.  
  
"Eve?"  
  
"Adam! Listen! The GSA is here, they're surrounding the club right now!"  
  
Swearing Adam sprang up from his seat, calling out orders as he ran into the main dance floor of the club. "Shalimar, Brennan, Jesse, get everyone in here now, the GSA is here!" Stopping at the computer they had set up on the bar Adam began typing furiously to get the program up and running that would disable their tazer weapons the instant they passed through the doorways. "Eve, where are you?"  
  
"On the roof across the street."  
  
"How many agents can you see?"  
  
"There are ten by the front door, another five disappeared to the left and five more to the right. There are probably some at the backdoor but I can't see them. There's some white guy, bright hair, he's just getting out of the car now."  
  
"Eckhart," Adam whispered.  
  
"Adam, they're moving in!"  
  
Over the comm link she could hear the agents enter the room and the fighting begin. Knowing she had to get there and help Eve stood from her hiding spot and ran for the door that led to the stairs only to find hat it had been locked when it shut behind her. Cursing herself for not propping it open Eve raced back to the ledge and looked down to see all the agents gone, they were all inside already. With a cry of anger Eve searched the roof for some way to get down. Seeing some cables hanging off the one side of the building she ran to them and found a window washer's pulley still hanging a few feet down. Jumping down onto it she found the controls and began to lower herself to the ground only to a jerk to a stop still three floors from the bottom. Knowing she had no choice Eve slipped out between the bars and lowered herself to hang from the floor of the pulley, dropping three floors to the ground.  
  
Sore from the fall she got to her feet and ran for the club. The front door inaccessible she opted for the back door and, disabling the one guard, entered the club through The Haven. Opening the door she entered just in time to see an agent aiming his gun at Jackie. Before Eve could take a step to stop him the trigger was pulled, bullet flying through the air towards its target. Crying out a warning, knowing it would be too late, Eve watched as Jackie was tossed aside, the bullet lodging itself in Eric's chest. Taking out the agent who had fired the gun, making sure he couldn't hurt anyone else, Eve rushed to Jackie and Eric, he resting in her lap, she bent over him in tears. Eric was dead; he had given his life for Jackie. Closing her eyes for a moment Eve thanked him for saving her friend. "Jackie..."  
  
"I can't Eve, I just can't."  
  
"All right," she said softly. "Take this," handing the young woman a gun. "If it's not one of us, shoot to kill." Nodding Jackie tucked the gun into her waistband as Eve ran up the stairs. Barring the door so no one could get down there she hurried out to the main floor and found the dance floor in chaos. Fights everywhere Eve joined in.   
  
"'Bought time you showed up," Mixy teased as Eve joined her in her fight against three agents. "I was wondering if you were gonna nap through the whole thing."  
  
"Well I tried but these damn guys kept pounding on my door so I figured I'd better make them stop," Eve teased back as they fought. "What's the score so far?"  
  
"Good guys eight bad guys one. Pete took a bullet in the shoulder but he'll be fine. I haven't seen Jackie though, I'm a little worried."  
  
Knocking out the agent she was fighting Eve turned to see Mixy finish with her two as well. "She's in the basement. Eric took a bullet for her."  
  
"Damn."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
Knocked to the ground from behind Eve got up to see Mixy fighting the man who had kicked her. Leaving them to their fight Eve glanced across the dance floor to see Adam pinned to the wall by two agents, a third one holding a gun aimed at his head. Cold terror gripped at her heart, though Eve had no idea why, and she ran for the agent holding the gun. Slamming herself into the agent the bullet buried itself into one of the men holding Adam, the force of her impact throwing off his aim. Pinned under him Eve fought the man until he was pulled off and tossed across the room. Looking up she saw Shalimar grinning down at her. "You're quick," she grinned. "You got here faster than I could."  
  
Taking her hand Eve was pulled to her feet, smiling back at the feral. "You better work on that," she teased. Feeling a warm trickle on her face Eve reached up and puled her fingers away only to see them coated in blood. Already by her side, Adam's eyes followed the path of the blood up to its source. "I'll be fine, there are other things to worry about right now," she protested.  
  
"Not really," Brennan smiled. "We won, the GSA is gone."  
  
Suddenly a scream tore through the air. All eyes went to its source and saw Mixy, trapped behind a blazing fire. The club was on fire! Freezing in her place Shalimar couldn't move any more than Mixy could, the fear of fire too great, too powerful a hold over her senses. Yelling for Jesse and Brennan to get Shalimar up to the Double Helix Adam moved over toward the fire to help Mixy, Pete and Eve following him closely. Each of them yelled at her to move but the feral was frozen in place, unable to move, her fear of fire to powerful an enemy to beat. Knowing he would recover Pete moved to pass through the flames but the pain was too much, he couldn't continue. Running out of options Eve knew she had no choice. Closing her eyes for a moment she opened them to stare right at Mixy, using her mutancy to fool the feral into thinking that there was no fire, only a deep, wide chasm that needed to be jumped. Her eyes not seeing the fire anymore Mixy took a running leap and jumped, landing safely on the other side.  
  
"Let's go!" Adam yelled.   
  
As they ran for the stairs Eve suddenly remembered. "Shit!" she cried. "Tugging on Adam's sleeve she pulled him back around to face her. "Jackie's still in The Haven! Wait for us!" she yelled over the roar of the fire, it was quickly consuming the entire building.  
  
"Wait!" Adam yelled as she turned and ran back across the dance floor; but Eve only waved as she ran toward the basement door. Wanting to go after her but needing to get Mixy to safety, Adam prayed she knew what she was doing.  
  
Moving the object she had barred the door with Eve raced down the stairs to see Jackie in the same position she had left her in. At the sound of feet pounding on the stairs Jackie raised the gun at her but, seeing Eve, she lowered it again, eyes wide at the sight of the blood on Eve's face. "Jackie, we gotta go! The club is on fire!" Pulling her to her feet Eve pulled Jackie away from Eric's prone body. Resisting her, Jackie tried to take Eric with them but Eve knew they'd never make it out in time. "We can't Jackie! There's no way we'd make it out on time!"  
  
"I'm not going to leave him here Eve! He gave his life for me! He did love me, he always did!"  
  
Feeling her pain Eve turned Jackie to face her. "I know he loved you Jackie. Even when I knew he had turned us in I always knew that he loved you. Eric died so that you could live! If we don't get out of here now then you'll die too and Eric's death will have meant absolutely nothing!"  
  
Tears in her eyes Jackie nodded, with one last look at Eric, the man she loved, she ran up the stairs, Eve right behind her. Through the dance floor, racing to get away from the fire they made it to the stairs only to find that their way was blocked, the ceiling had caved in on them. Hurrying as fast as they could the pair ran to the bar, using it's shelving unit to get to the open walkway of the second floor that hung over the dance floor. Climbing up it they ran to the stairs again and made it to the third floor. Running, racing, they made it to the roof and ran towards the Double Helix, Pete and Jesse standing outside, yelling for them to run faster. Still a ways away from safety Eve stumbled, pain beginning to sear through her head, a scream tearing past her lips.  
  
"Eve!" Jackie screamed. As her vision began to black out Eve saw Pete looming over her, felt herself being picked up and carried towards the Double Helix. She was laid down on a table of some sort and Eve watched as Pete disappeared only to be replaced by Adam, the older man staring down at her in worry and fear. She could see his mouth moving but could hear no words over the sound of someone screaming. Soon her murky vision went completely black as the pain became too much.  
  
The headaches had begun.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven - Afloat in a Sea of Memories  
  
  
The wind rustled in the background, lifting her hair from her shoulders as she stood at a railing overlooking an ocean. It seemed to span out in all directions, the blue waves, tipped in a frothy white as they broke against the rocks below. The night sky was giving way to day's bright sun, the golden circle just beginning to rise, coloring the sky a brilliant rose and deep purple. As the sun began to rise in the sky the water beneath her began to boil, its movement increasing until small bubbles began to break through to the surface. Watching them from her perch by the railing she saw the first one rise to the surface and burst open, releasing a small butterfly into the air. Fluttering its wings the little flier land on the hand she stretched out towards it. Gazing down at the small butterfly a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. As though they were linked she could hear it speaking to her, telling her a tale... a tale of her life.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Slowly the steady humming encroached into her unconsciousness, rousing her to the world that moved around her. Cracking open her eyes she looked around to see a lab of some sort, Adam sitting before the computer, absently humming to himself a tune that she almost knew. Stretching her limbs she sighed softly but it was enough to catch his attention. The humming ceased as Adam looked up, rising from his seat at the same time. Crossing the distance between them in two long strides he put a hand to her forehead, feeling for the fever that had been raging in her body. "You gave us one hell of a scare," he said softly when he was satisfied that the fever was practically gone.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"Mutant X headquarters. You've been fighting a fever for a few days now." Adam could see the confusion in her eyes and explained. "The time was up on the Ethelplorinide and you passed out from the headaches just after we got you to safety. You had a fever from the side effects of the withdrawal for a few days but it seems to have passed. How do you feel?"  
  
Gazing up at him with blank eyes she blinked a few times before sighing again and closing her eyes. "Like someone showed me the middle of a movie without letting me see the first half." Adam smiled. "Did everyone make it out okay?"  
  
Nodding, "They're all fine, everyone is waiting for you to wake up so they can come say hi," he smiled at her.  
  
"Adam, I..." she started, biting her lip. "I still don't remember anything."  
  
"Don't worry about it," he smiled to reassure her. Taking her hand in his Adam helped her to sit up for a moment. "The Ethelplorinide is out of your system but it will still take some time to get your memories back. Thankfully you're here at the Sanctuary where I'm sure we can stimulate some of them for you, it will help you remember a little faster."  
  
"How much faster?" she asked hopefully.   
  
Adam couldn't help but laugh. He could already see bits of Emma beginning to shine through the woman who knew herself as Eve. "Patience," he teased. "Are you feeling up to having some company?"   
  
Smiling she gave a small nod and Adam moved to open the door, signaling for the group of men and women in the hallway to come on in. Six people hurried in, their faces beaming when they saw her sitting up to meet them. Watching her greet them, hugging each one, Adam had to stamp down the little stab of jealousy that rose in his heart.  
  
"How are you feeling!?" Mixy cried as she hugged her friend close. "Damn, girl! You had us worried out of our minds!"  
  
"I'm fine," she smiled. "Just a little out of it still."  
  
"What do you mean, kiddo?" Pete asked, leaning against the chair, dropping his arm over her shoulders.  
  
"I still don't remember anything. Except..." Trailing off she thought back to the dream from just before she woke. Was it a dream? Was it a memory? "I'm not sure but I think I might remember something. It seems more like a dream than anything else, but at the same time it seems so real. I was standing in the middle of a platform of some sort, I'm not sure where it was, but I wasn't alone. There was another woman with me. We were fighting... but not really. I'm not sure how to explain it. It was like..."  
  
"Like a sparring match?"  
  
"Yes!" she answered excitedly. "It was a sparring match," looking at Shalimar, "With you." Staring at Shalimar another memory floated to her mind past the muddled barrier between her and her memories. "And it was you in the alley that night wasn't it? I was running from someone and a woman fought them so I could get away. It was you," pointing to the feral, "But there were other people too." Her eyes drifting over the group she stopped on Jesse. "Jesse, you were there, you stopped the bullets. And... you," looking at Adam. "You were there too."  
  
Adam nodded. "You were running from the GSA. They were after you and you ran into the alleyway."   
  
Smiling, "I remember." Her smile faded. "And I remember that I was a real bitch back then too," frowning.  
  
Jesse laughed. "Yeah, but you grew on us."  
  
The group laughed.   
  
"You've been out for a while, you're probably hungry. Why don't you come out to the dining area and we'll get you some food."  
  
"Mmm... food," she grinned, jumping up from the chair. "I'm starved."   
  
Following her friends out of the medical room she stopped just before entering the dining area. While the rest of the group set out to make a meal she slipped down the hallway towards a larger room at the end of it. Passing under the stairs she found herself standing in a large open room, a water garden ahead of her and a platform above her. Wide-eyed she recognized the platform from her memory of Shalimar. Climbing the stairs she stood on the platform, her arms wrapped around herself.   
  
Behind her Adam stopped a few steps from the edge of the platform. She seemed so distant to him. It used to be that he could read Emma as though she were linked to him. The swirling emotions in her eyes had always told him what was running through her mind. But now he didn't know, couldn't see them anymore.  
  
"Do you always stand on your head when you're confused?"  
  
Taken off guard Adam blinked in silence. Then, a small smile creeping onto his face, he climbed the last few steps to stop beside her. "Only if the mood strikes."  
  
Turning to look at him she smiled. "You're good at it though," she teased.  
  
Chuckling Adam was silent for a moment before speaking again. "What made you remember that?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I was staring at the platform and I suddenly saw you standing on your head," she grinned. "I don't even know why you were doing it."  
  
"I needed to think."  
  
"So you stood on your head?"  
  
Adam smiled and shrugged.  
  
Laughing she shook her head. "Come on, let me escort you to dinner," taking his arm as they walked down the stairs toward the dining area. "It's the least I can do after you saved my life and all."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sitting in the water garden of the Sanctuary she sat in meditation. Letting her mind wander wherever it willed she could barely contain her excitement as the memories floated in and out of her mind. Some were new, some were old, some painful, and some happy, but they were hers and she was glad to have them. She remembered her friends, meeting Brennan in the bar, Jesse, Shalimar, and Adam in the alley. The times that she fought side by side with them, a few of the times at least. She knew that there were chunks missing from her memories but, as she had seen over the past few days, she knew they would return eventually. But there was one vital memory that still eluded her.  
  
What was her name?  
  
Mixy, Pete and Jackie still called her Eve but more than once she had caught the four team members calling her by another name; Emma. With that small bit of information she'd done a search on the name Emma with the computer and had found her file. Emma DeLauro. That was the name attached to the face that she saw in the mirror. But it seemed no more real to her than the name Eve did. She had read the file through so many times that she had it memorized and slowly, bit by bit, the facts that she had read became more and more real to her. The more time that passed the more she remembered her life.  
  
And finally, as she sat in the water garden, her mind drifting where it pleased, she remembered, in her heart, what her name was. What she had known in her mind she now knew in her heart as well. Jumping up, thrilled, excited, ecstatic to finally remember, she ran off in search of someone to share this good news with. Not sure where she was going, just needing to go somewhere, she ran through the halls in search until she came to a stop outside the labs. Opening the door she saw Adam standing at a desk and leapt onto his back, her laughter, too buoyant to keep reigned in, filling the room.  
  
"Adam! I remember! I finally remember my name!" she laughed in his ear, hanging on to the shocked man tightly. "It's Emma! My name really is Emma!"  
  
Though the sudden onslaught of her weight in his back had startled him Adam had to grin. Laughing he deposited the young woman onto the desk and stood facing her. "That's great, Emma!"  
  
"I was just sitting there in the garden, not really thinking about anything, when it just came to me. One minute I was thinking about one of the times I was held by the GSA and the next I remembered my name. It was the weirdest thing. But I'm not complaining!"   
  
Laughing at the unbridled joy in Emma's face and voice Adam folded his arms and stared at her, leaning his hip against the other desk. He was dying to ask if she remembered, truly remembered, him. But Adam knew he would have to wait until she remembered it on her own. But he couldn't help but wonder... "So who did you tell on the way here?"  
  
"Oh no one, you're the first one I found," she replied absently as another memory floated to the surface of her mind. "We do this a lot don't we?" Emma asked suddenly, her face becoming serious. "I remember doing this, sitting here in the lab, talking, a number of different times. It always seemed to help, talking things over with you I mean. Like that one time after you went all bad on us. You freaked me out with the way you were hurting us. I remember I couldn't be in the same room with you for a while. Even though I knew you wouldn't hurt me it was still strange. But then I was working in here and you locked the door so I couldn't bail on you. We talked and by the time we were done it was okay between us again."  
  
Adam was silent. He remembered that night. Emma had been avoiding being alone with him for almost a week before he finally pinned her in the lab and made her face him. It had taken a few hours but they'd talked it all out and had left the room as friends.  
  
As though she didn't realize he didn't respond Emma kept talking, voicing her memories as they came to her, one memory sparking the next one to life. "But that wasn't the first time either. We work in here a lot, don't we? Like the time I... no, that can't be right," shaking her head at the memory.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Chewing her lip Emma recalled what she had just remembered. "I died. But that's not possible."  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid it is."  
  
Hiding the pain he still felt from that awful time Adam told her what had happened the day Lazarus had killed her. As he spoke Emma listened intently, tears stinging at her eyes. Though he hid it from his face she could feel Adam's pain as though it was her own and she wondered at it. Emma knew they were friends, teammates, but the pain and emotion she was sensing from Adam seemed to go much deeper than that. It was almost as if...  
  
"Adam," she interrupted. Stopping he looked at her, wondering at the softness in her voice. "You don't think of me as just your friend do you?"  
  
Closing his eyes Adam moved away for a moment, crossing the room to the opposite wall and leaning against it. Arms folded over his chest he stared at the floor for a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers. "Emma..."  
  
"Adam! Adam get out here!"  
  
Brennan's voice rang out over the comm links, the urgency in his tone sending both Adam and Emma racing out of the labs and to the main room. Once there they discovered what was so urgent.  
  
"The GSA is closing in on our safehouse in the city. Jesse is there with about seven other New Mutants and they have no way out."  
  
Muttering a curse under his breath Adam ordered everyone to the Double Helix, there was no time to lose. Piloting through the air they made it to the city and to the safehouse only to find it empty. Signs of a struggle, overturned crates and furniture, broken display panels, were everywhere but not a body was to be found. While the others began an aggressive scan of the safehouse to find some clue as to where their friends had been taken Emma sat down in the corner of the room, isolated from everyone and closed her eyes.  
  
Calling on her mutant gift she reached out to Jesse with her mind, trying to find him, to see if he was all right at the very least. With her minds eye Emma saw him, trapped in a place that was filled with pain. But she could tell he wasn't alone. Someone was in his mind with him. As Emma watched Jesse she was unaware that the person in his mind knew she was there as well until it was too late. With a heart-stopping scream she felt herself being kicked from Jesse's mind by the person she couldn't quite see.  
  
Jumping at the sound of Emma's scream Adam felt his heart grow cold as he raced towards her, the young woman hunched down in the farthest corner of the safehouse. Though he was the first to reach her side the others quickly joined him, a small group formed around her, each one concerned and curious. Kneeling before her Adam reached out and hooked his finger under her chin, forcing Emma to look at him. Breathing deeply she met his eyes and focused on calming her racing heart.  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
"Jesse," she said after a moment. "He's trapped and he's in pain but... not really. I... I can't describe it," getting frustrated at her inability to make sense of it.  
  
"Okay, calm down and focus. When you found him which way did you feel it from?"  
  
"North, he's north of here."  
  
Pulling her to her feet Adam led the group up to the Double Helix and they headed north, following the link Emma had, if only for a short while, with Jesse. As they hovered over an abandoned warehouse Emma knew this was the spot, though every visible detail said it couldn't be. Landing a little ways away the group left the Double Helix and walked towards the building. No sooner had they set foot on the cement floor than they were knocked out by a blast from somewhere in the darkness.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: Pain is Dead... Long Live Pain.  
  
"Haven't we been here before?" Mixy moaned as she slowly came to.  
  
Groaning Pete looked around at the people clamped down in chairs the same way he was. His regenerative powers helping him get over the effects of the blast first he watched as everyone around him began to wake up. Soon almost everyone was conscious except Emma.  
  
"Is everyone okay?" Adam asked the group. Getting varied responses, most yes, he noticed that Emma hadn't said anything. Twisting in his seat as much as he could Adam tried to see her. "Emma?"  
  
"She's still out, Adam," Jesse told him, sitting next to her. "She looks okay but I can't tell anything else."  
  
"She's a sionic, they always take a little longer to wake up when I've knocked them out."  
  
All eyes turned to the man in the doorway, leaning against it, watching them. His long brown hair fell in waves around his shoulders; his eyes boring into them with ferocity that ran shivers up their spines. Taking the final step into the room he walked between the chairs until he was at Emma's side. Reaching out the man gently stroked the side of her face until she began to stir. Blinking Emma opened her eyes, jumping when she felt the mans fingers on her face. Frowning she shrank away from him, still trying to figure out what was going on and who this man was that was creepily stroking her face.  
  
"You're scared," he whispered. "I don't blame you, I'd be scared too."  
  
"Who are you?" Adam demanded.  
  
"A New Mutant thanks to you." Moving away from Emma the man walked up to the table that was standing before all of them at the head of the room. Leaning against it he folded his arms and stared out at the group held prisoner. "Because of you I've never been able to lead a normal life. I'm a freak that you designed. But thanks to you I'm finally able to take my revenge."  
  
Without another word the man got to work, one by one moving each of the team members to the table before returning them to their chair, unconscious, beginning with Adam. When he was finished only Emma remained alert to his actions, the young woman growing more and more worried about what he was doing to her team. Standing before her, staring down at her, the man released her bonds and stepped back one step.  
  
"With all of their fears I'll make his greatest fear come true. But I'm afraid there's nothing I can do with you; as a sionic you'd be immune to my powers. You, my dear girl, will have to be removed the old fashioned way."  
  
Before she knew what was happening he brought his fist swinging down to meet her jaw. Knocked from her chair Emma scrambled to get away but couldn't move quick enough to avoid the kick to her midsection. Gasping for air she couldn't avoid his blows as they rained down on her body. Bloody, beaten, just before she felt she could keep conscious any longer he suddenly stopped. On the floor, tears of pain streaming from her eyes, mixing with the blood that seeped out from her face, Emma saw Adam throwing the man across the table, a look of pure rage filling his face. Getting up from the floor, blood spilling from a cut on his temple, the man fled the room.  
  
Adam let him go, choosing to fall to his knee's next to Emma, his hands reaching out to gently pick her up and lay her out on the table so he could examine the beaten girl. Cursing under his breath as she lost consciousness Adam did what he could to help her as the others began to wake. Leaving Shalimar to waken the others Pete and Adam carried Emma out to the Double Helix where he got to work with the emergency aid kit. No sooner was everyone on board than they were in the air heading back toward the Sanctuary.   
  
Laid out in the chair, still unconscious, Emma was treated for her wounds and left to rest in the med lab. Out in the sanctuary, the air tense as they waited, yet again, to know if she would be all right. Some pacing, some trying to read, others simply staring out into space, each one too aware that they had no recollection of what had happened to her, not knowing how Emma had gotten beat so badly.  
  
"The last thing I remember was being locked down in the chair while some freak was talking to us."  
  
The group agreed.  
  
"Something had to have happened between then and the moment I came to, because I saw that man beating the life out of Emma. He was trying to kill her," Adam informed them.  
  
"Then why not just shoot her? No offense but there are a lot of easier ways to kill someone than to beat them to death."  
  
Adam shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
Still working at the computer while they talked Jesse finished the diagram of the man that had held them all at his will and fed it into the computer, waiting for what seemed like forever until it gave him a name in return.  
  
"Jonathon Krait," he announced, reading the screen before him. "He was a GSA agent but he went rogue about a year ago, something to do with an accident in the lab that killed his two partners. He fled the GSA and has been on the run ever since."  
  
"Did it say what the accident was?"  
  
"No, just that the two people that died did it to themselves. The one, Jessica Webster, killed herself by jumping from the roof of the fourteen-story building, and the other, Rodney Perez, injected himself with some sort of poison. That's all it says. After their deaths Krait fled and they never found him."  
  
"Jessica Webster?"  
  
All eyes turned to Adam but it was Brennan who spoke up. "You know her Adam?"  
  
"Jessica was a lab assistant when I was with Genomex. She was terrified of heights. Anything higher than the second story and she froze like a deer in headlights; she wouldn't budge. I find it difficult to believe that she would make it to the fourteenth floor let alone jump from it." Face drawn in a frown Adam slowly paced the floor, his mind whirling in a thousand directions at once. "What would cause her to kill herself? And the other one as well?"  
  
"Well they were working for the GSA, that'd put suicide thoughts in my head." Everyone glared at Jesse who just shrugged. "Well it would..." he defended himself.  
  
"Jesse, see if you can dig up anything else on this Krait guy. In the meantime I don't want anyone to go anywhere. I'm not taking any chances that he'll try to get at us again."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
He couldn't help it.  
  
Sitting in a chair in the corner of his room Pete couldn't stop staring at the gun in his hands. For the longest time he had refused to even look at one of these weapons, not since it had killed his best friend when they were nine years old. He had been terrified of guns ever since. So why was he sitting here, staring at the gun in his hands, finger over the trigger?  
  
He just couldn't seem to help it.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
The pain was the first thing that filled her mind as she slowly came to. Everywhere she could feel pain. Even her hair hurt. Blinking, groaning, Emma opened her eyes and saw Adam staring down at her, concern edging the sadness in his eyes. "Haven't we done this before?" she tried to joke. A small twitched at his lips but it died sooner than it could grow. Something wasn't right. "Adam, what is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Closing his eyes for a moment he took her hand in his. "Pete's dead, Emma."  
  
The pain that had filled her body was nothing compared to the pain that filled her heart. "That's not possible!" she cried. "He was a regenerator, he always healed himself!"  
  
"Not this time," he whispered. Tears filling her eyes Emma tried to sit up but Adam pushed her back down. "Not yet, you need to rest."  
  
Lying back on the table, her emotions overwhelming her, Emma began to sob, clinging to Adam as he hugged her tightly, trying to help her deal with what had happened. Eventually, too exhausted to stay awake any longer she fell into a restless sleep, tossing and turning at the nightmares playing themselves out in her head.  
  
Sometime later, though how many hours had passed she didn't know, Emma woke again in an empty lab, no sign of anyone around at all. Getting up she hobbled out to the main room, her body still in pain, though not as bad as before. Following the sound of Mixy's tearful voice she found the group standing around the water garden, seven candles floating in the pond, all lit, one for each of the people who had lost a friend. Coming to a stand next to Brennan Emma looked at them, seeing the pain that filled each of their faces, feeling it as it flowed from their hearts.  
  
Laying a gentle arm around her, the scene all to familiar to the even more painful one a few months ago, Brennan looked down at her, unable to stop the joy that filled his heart that his friend was still alive. Looking up at Brennan Emma could feel his bittersweet joy and smiled a small smile at him, knowing exactly how he felt, and feeling a bit of it herself. She had lost a friend to death, but the others were still here and for that she would be eternally grateful. Turning back to the candles in the pond Emma watched as, one by one, they burned out. When the last one was done she closed her eyes and wished her friend well, wherever he was.  
  
Gathered around the pond, giving and taking the comfort from each other that they needed, the group didn't move. "I just don't understand," Jackie said, wiping the tears from her cheek. "Pete hated guns, he was terrified of them. Why would he...?" unable to go on.  
  
Confused Emma looked to Mixy for the rest of the sentence.   
  
"Emma... Pete... he... well, he..." she couldn't bring herself to say it, her emotions getting the better of her before she could go on.  
  
Moving to Emma's side Adam was the one to tell her.  
  
"Pete shot himself, Emma. A single bullet through the head; it was the only way to kill himself before his regenerative powers could save him."  
  
Her legs giving out from under her Emma sagged into Brennan, his arm tightening to support her. With a quick nod from Adam Brennan picked her up, carrying her back to the med lab, back to the chair, where Adam ran a scan to make sure she was all right. Lying on her back, staring up at him with tearful eyes she asked the one question that was ringing through her head. "Why? Why Adam?"  
  
"I don't know Emma, I just don't know."  
  
Taking his hand in hers Emma closed her eyes against the pain that filled her heart. "He was the one who called me Eve, did you know that? He said that I looked like an Eve, innocent but dangerous. When I found out about the Haven he was the pone who told me everything. Pete was the first friend I had when I didn't know anything else." Tears slipped past her eyelids as she squeezed them tighter. "He was like a big brother," she whispered painfully.  
  
Watching her grieve for her fallen friend Adam wished he had an answer to her question. He'd done a scan of everyone when they had returned to the Sanctuary; there had been no indication of anything wrong with Pete, nothing to indicate that he was suicidal or under the influence of any brainwashing of any sort. What had happened? Why had such a promising young man with a long future before him chosen to cut his life short so quickly? Adam had no answers to his own questions, much less Emma's.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Sitting in the window of her room overlooking the ocean Emma stared at the currents, dwelling in their peacefulness and tranquility. Though she had been thinking a lot about her time with Pete and the others some of her other memories had continued to surface as well. She remembered falling from the top of the parking ramp, grabbing the railing about halfway down before falling the rest of the way. Her body still trembled at the fear from that moment. Most of her memories had returned to her but Emma knew there was still some missing. There were still a few chunks of her life missing but not so many that she no longer felt comfortable with who she was.   
  
She was Emma DeLauro, member of the rebel group Mutant X.  
  
As Emma sat there, her mind going nowhere and yet everywhere, she was suddenly filled with an incredible sense of fear. Focusing in on it she jumped up from her seat and raced through the halls, calling out to whoever could hear her. "Somebody help! Help!" she screamed as she ran through the halls, down the stairs, to the lower levels of the Sanctuary. Passing through the final doorway she heard feet pounding behind her and knew that there were people following who would help. Sliding to a halt on the wet cement floor Emma hit the button that opened the hatch to the bay doors of the boat dock at the very bottom level of the Sanctuary. As the doors opened she looked to the right and the left, her eyes searching for the source of the fear she had felt gripping her heart moments ago.  
  
"What's going on Emma?" Jesse asked as he skidded to a stop next to her, Shalimar with him, Adam and Mixy not far behind.  
  
"It's Brennan; he's in the water somewhere, I can't find him!"  
  
"Emma, Brennan wouldn't go near the ocean; he's electrical, they hate the water."  
  
"I know that!" she cried. "But I can feel his fear! It's getting weaker, like he's loosing strength. Help me find him before it's too late!"  
  
Each pair of eyes scanning the ocean were doubtful that they would see him out there until Shalimar cried out, "Oh my God, there he is!" pointing to a body a few hundred yards away from them, floating face down in the water.  
  
Jesse and Adam dove into the ocean, swimming, racing out to the young man and dragging him back to the safety of the boat dock. Getting the soaked elemental out of the water and onto the relatively dry floor Mixy immediately set to work doing CPR to get his heart going again. Instinct wanting to breathe the water in his lungs soon came forth as he began to cough to expel it from his lungs. Collapsing back onto the floor, pain filling his chest, Brennan opened his eyes.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You were out in the ocean, man!" Jesse cried, bent over, trying to catch his breath, Adam in much the same position. "What the heck were you doing, going for a swim?"  
  
"I... I don't know. It was like I couldn't stop myself, I just had to jump in."  
  
"Oh you stupid..." Shalimar began, unable to allow herself to finish.  
  
Relief filling her Emma sank back onto her heels and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at each of her friends she realized that one was missing. "Where's Jackie?"  
  
"Last I saw her she was working out on the platform."  
  
"Let's get you to the med lab," Adam broke in, reaching for Brennan's hand. "I want to examine that head of yours, find out what sort of stupid thought convinced you to go for a swim," he tried to joke, trying to lighten the tense mood a little.  
  
The group stood and moved back into the hallways and on up to the med lab. While Brennan, Emma and Adam stayed in the med lab to run their tests on the young man the other three continued out to the main room to find Jackie and let her know everything was all right. As the first scan was finishing a scream rang out through the Sanctuary, chilling Emma to the bones. Running out to the main room she saw Jesse running back towards them to get Adam. Passing him Emma stopped at the edge of the water garden, frozen in pure shock at the sight before her.  
  
There, in the shallow waters of their beloved garden, Jackie lay face down.  
  
She was dead.  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: The Sum of Our Fears  
  
  
Lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, Emma hugged her pillow to her chest tightly and fought to keep her tears at bay. Right now she needed to think. One by one her friends were dying, first Pete and now Jackie. Who would be next? Why was this happening? What could she do to stop them? Was she at risk as well? How did this happen? Questions, those and more, kept floating through her mind until she couldn't think straight anymore. Needing to clear her head she tossed the pillow aside and left her room, softly padding out to the main room and up the stairs to the platform. Sitting in the center she had just settled in when Adam appeared at the top of the stairs.  
  
"What are you doing Emma?"  
  
"I just needed to think." Meeting his eyes she saw the concern that filled them and realized he hadn't just happened to stop by. "Are you following me?"  
  
He shrugged with a small grin. "I'm following all of you. I have the computer keeping tabs on everyone and keeping me updated when anyone moves."  
  
"You're really worried about this aren't you?" Adam nodded. "Do you have any idea why this is happening?"  
  
"No, I can't think of anything yet. I keep thinking back to the accident a Genomex. What would make Jessica go to the roof like that? She was terrified of heights."  
  
Listening to him Emma's clouded mind began to clear. "Adam... I think that's it."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You said that Jessica was terrified of heights but she jumped from the roof."  
  
"Yeah," he frowned, not yet following her line of thought.   
  
"Pete was scared of guns ever since his best friend was killed by one and Brennan, an electrical, hates the water but he said that he couldn't stop himself from jumping in. And Jackie," her voice caught on her emotion but Emma forced herself to continue. "Jackie drowned in water even though she was an electrical as well. What if this man has somehow removed their fear? Made them think that it was perfectly safe?"  
  
"When? How would he have had the chance when we were always together, never separated?"  
  
"Adam," she said getting to her feet. "I watched him do it. One by one he brought each of you up to the table and did something, I wasn't sure what because I couldn't get a read on any of you, it was like you were blocked from me. He said that his power wouldn't work on me because I was a sionic, that's why he had to get rid of me the old fashioned way."  
  
"Which is why he was trying to beat you to death," he realized, putting the final piece into its place. His eyes closed with a grimace. "But what I don't understand is why?"  
  
"He hates you," she answered softly raising his eyes. Opening his eyes Adam met Emma's gaze. "He blames you for his being a new mutant. After he had finished with the last of the team he said something about making your greatest fear come true."  
  
Dropping his gaze Adam averted his head and looked down at the water garden below them. Watching him Emma could see the guilt weighing on his shoulders, burying his heart under its weight. Once again his past, his failure, though many would call it a success, had returned to remind him that he would never be able to forget what he had done, the lives he had destroyed with his genetic experimenting. Inching closer to him Emma raised her hand to Adam's face, cupping his cheek and turning his head until she could see his eyes.  
  
"Don't do that Adam," she whispered, her brown eyes meeting his with an intense gaze he couldn't break away from. "The past is in the past and there is nothing you can do to change it. No amount of browbeating is going to make it go away or make things turn out any differently than they already have."  
  
Staring at him, seeing the pain in his eyes, the sadness, she couldn't breathe as it filled her heart. But even through all of that she could see more and as she stared into those pain filled brown orbs the final piece of her life fell into place, the last missing chapter of memories that had been the only one left to read.   
  
She suddenly remembered the nights in the lab, together, laughing over some joke or funny story. In her minds eye she could see him standing over her as she had laid on the recovery table in the lab, his brown eyes filled with worry. But there was one memory that came to her and would not leave. A small coin stood upright on the table between them, easy laughter filled the air, and she had raised her eyes to see Adam across the table from her. A compromise, a handshake, suddenly she was trapped in his arms and then...  
  
"Oh Adam," she breathed, tears filling her eyes. Unconsciously her thumb began to lightly stroke his cheek. "How could I have forgotten you?"  
  
Turning into her hand Adam closed his eyes against the feeling of her thumb softly stroking his face. He had seen it in her eyes, she remembered... finally, after so long a time, she remembered. Opening his eyes Adam reached out and removed her hand from his face, pulling it into his and bringing them to his lips, laying a soft kiss to her even softer skin. "I knew you would remember eventually," he whispered back.  
  
Tears threatened to choke her voice from her throat. "The hell I put you through..."  
  
"...Is nowhere near the hell I was in when I thought you were really dead. I've lost so many people that I love Emma, I can't loose anymore, I couldn't live though that."  
  
Slipping her arms around his neck Emma pulled herself close to Adam, clinging to him as the pain that had filled her heart was overwhelmed by her joy and the love she felt for the man who held her just as tightly. She had lived through her greatest fear and found her light at the end of the very long and dark tunnel. There was nothing more to fear.  
  
Emma gasped.  
  
"Adam that's it!" she cried, tearing herself from his arms and leaning back to meet his eyes. "That's your fear!"  
  
Trying to make the jump in her train of thought Adam couldn't quite keep up. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"It's your fear," she repeated. "When he had finished with all of you he said that he was going to use their fears to make yours come true. Pete is dead...Jackie is dead... one by one he's killing off the people in your life, the people you care about. And he's using their fears to do it."  
  
"Jessica jumped from the fourteenth floor yet she was terrified of heights." His eyes widening in disbelief he put the puzzle together. "Krait had been working on a project, more than likely it was to enhance his ability to eliminate fear, make the GSA agents fearless against the enemy. But why come after me?"  
  
"Guilt. He feel's guilty about what happened and needs to blame someone. Who better then the person who gave him the ability in the first place? We have to stop him Adam!"  
  
"No," he shook his head. "First we need to find a way to deprogram everyone before they attempt to kill themselves. We have to find out what their biggest fears are."  
  
"I can try to tap into them. Maybe if I try hard enough I can see what it is that they're not afraid of anymore. Maybe that will give us some sort of a clue."  
  
Adam nodded. "You start with Mixy. Jackie and Pete were the first to fall, I think he may be starting with the newer relationships and working on down to the older ones. I'll wake Brennan and see if he can tell me anything, maybe I can find a clue from what he went through." Hurrying down the stairs they stood in the archway by the medical lab and faced one another, anxiety and adrenaline vying for top priority in their veins. "Emma..."  
  
"I know Adam," she smiled. "We'll have all the time we need once this is over with. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."  
  
With a loving smile he pressed her hand to his lips once more, an old fashioned gesture that he knew she loved. Smiling she reached up on her tip-toe's and replaced her hand with her lips for the briefest of moments before turning, needing to leave before she wouldn't be able to. Watching her go for a moment Adam smiled and strode into the lab. "Brennan, wake up," he called to the sleeping elemental. "I have a few questions for you to answer."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
  
Walking through the corridor, searching for her friend, Emma frowned. Mixy hadn't been in her room, hadn't been in her bed as she should have been. 'Where is she?' Emma thought to herself, growing more and more alarmed as time passed. Rounding a corner toward the lover levels she stopped at the sight of the garage door opened, there were some noises coming from beyond the doorway. Frowning she moved closer, curious and alarmed all at the same time. Pausing for a moment in the doorway Emma entered and saw Mixy standing in the middle of a puddle on the floor, dripping wet, the smell of gasoline fumes pungent in the room.  
  
"Mixy?" Emma called out, reaching out toward her friend. "Mixy what are you doing?"  
  
"Do you know what I finally figured out?" Mixy replied. "The best way to conquer your fear is to face it head on. For the longest time I have been scared to death of gasoline. You know why?"  
  
"Why" she asked, moving closer and closer with every passing second.  
  
"Because it's so combustible. One little drop of gas in the wrong place and it's all over with. You see, it all boils down to the flames Emma. Everyone knows ferals are scared of fire; it's in our DNA. But it doesn't just stop there. We can think about it, we know what things can cause fire and you know what, we're afraid of them too. And gasoline, that's one of the biggest ones of them all!"  
  
While listening to Mixy speak Emma quietly turned on her comm ring. "Adam," she whispered covertly. "Adam hurry! I found Mixy but I don't think I can stop her alone."  
  
Turning off the ring before he could reply Emma kept advancing on Mixy. "Mixy, let's get out of here okay? We'll go see Adam, he wants to ask you a few questions."  
  
She shook her head. "You don't understand Emma! I've done it! I've done what I've always been afraid of." The feral laughed. "I'm soaked!" Smiling she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small lighter. "I've got to face my fears Emma, it's the only way to get past them."  
  
"No!" Emma screamed as she saw Mixy move to light the little lighter. Lunging forward she grabbed at Mixy's hand before she could complete the motions. The two women fought for a brief moment before Mixy's feral strength pushed Emma away, sending her flying into the wall lined with equipment of all sorts. Tumbling down into the machines below her Emma fought to keep conscious against the pain.   
  
"Try to understand Emma, I have to do this, I have to..."  
  
Getting up as quickly as she could Emma raced toward Mixy again but she was too late. Before she could take her first step the feral had flicked the lighter and flames licked at her clothes, hair, skin; the fire was everywhere. Screaming Emma tried to move closer but pulled back when the fired singed her hands. Suddenly Mixy was knocked to the ground and in a flurry of rushed movements she watched as Adam and Jesse fought to extinguish the flames with blankets. When they were out Jesse picked Mixy up and fled out the doorway, both Adam and Emma directly on his heels.  
  
It was only once Adam had declared that Mixy would be okay that the pain of Emma's hand forced its way to the surface. Seeing the pain in her eyes Adam scanned her over and noticed the redness on the tips of her fingers. Forcing her to sit on the exam table Adam applied a burn cream to her fingers, massaging it in to take away the pain. "What will happen to her when she wakes up?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he sighed. "It could be that the influence has worn off or it could be that it hasn't. I have no way of knowing until I speak with Mixy or the bastard that did this to her."  
  
The fact that this might not be over yet crushed down on Emma's shoulders and she slumped against the weight of it, leaning forward and putting her head to Adam's shoulder. "I can't do this Adam," she whispered through her choked throat. "I've already lost Pete and Jackie... if I lose Mixy too..."  
  
Wrapping his arm around her Adam held the small woman to him. "I'll do everything I can to keep Mixy here, Emma, I promise you I will."  
  
Nodding, trying to keep her tears at bay but loosing the battle, Emma sniffed. As the first tear welled in her eyes and slipped down her cheek it was soon joined by many others just like it. Wrapped up in Adam's arms she wept for her lost friends, people she loved that had been ripped from her life by a man bent on making Adam pay for a crime he had already paid for time and time again.   
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
He was standing on a platform, water surrounding him everywhere; there was nowhere he could go. He had no choice; he had to step off the platform and into the water. Raising his foot he was about to do so when a strong gust of wind blew against him making it nearly impossible to move. In the wind he heard whispers, a voice he knew and yet at the same time it was his own voice, telling him, reminding him of what he knew in the depth of his heart and mind.  
  
He hated water.  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
It was deceptively calm in the lab. Adam watched the pair in the center of the lab with concern and worry yet also hope and a sense of need filling his every cell. This needed to work; they were running out of options. Three times he had caught Brennan getting back in the water. After the second time he had realized the pattern, every twelve hours Brennan made an attempt to get in the water. Deciding to deal with Brennan first Adam had locked Mixy in her room, after searching it for anything flammable, and both Jesse and Shalimar were keeping an eye on her.  
  
As for Adam... he was keeping an eye on all of them.  
  
But right now his attention was focused on Emma as she sat next to Brennan, trying to get into his mind, trying to see past the barriers and make him forget what had been planted in his mind. She'd been sitting next to the elemental for nearly four hours now and there had been no movement from either one of them. Pacing the room, checking on both of their vital signs, he was beginning to get worried. Brennan was fine, but Emma's vital signs were beginning to waver.   
  
She was exhausted. With everything it had been through lately the mental exhaustion had begun to encroach on her body as well. So focused on helping Brennan her brain was beginning to take its energy from the involuntary body systems just to keep the power flow between them at a constant level. Every non-essential bodily function had slowly shut down. There were moments when she had skipped a heartbeat, or forgotten to take a breath. Those were the times Adam's own heart had skipped a beat, when his own breath had caught in his throat.   
  
He was scared.  
  
Passing by the chair one more time Adam's heart clenched when the computer beeped letting him know that Emma's heart had skipped a beat. It beeped again, a third time, a fourth, a fifth. Adam's eyes grew wide when he realized Emma's heart had stopped. She was tapping every reservoir of energy she could find to keep the link with Brennan and the heart was the strongest muscle in the body. Grabbing a hypodermic from the counter Adam was poised to inject an adrenaline shot directly into her heart, to get it going again, when she suddenly opened her eyes to meet his.  
  
"Emma!?!" he yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders.  
  
Slowly a weak smiled pulled at her lips as she swayed against him, a whisper rising from her throat to meet his ears.   
  
"It worked Adam."  
  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X 


End file.
